NDC to launch a proactive housing project

Accra, July 10, GNA - Mr. John Dramani Mahama, National Democratic Congress (NDC) running mate for Election 2008 on Friday outlined a proactive housing revitalisation scheme which aimed at reducing the anxiety of the lower income earners in securing rental accommodation. The scheme includes the passage of a rent control law that limit the amounts of rent and the amounts that rent can be increased in any year, build more affordable houses across the nation

Set up rent stabilization agencies or boards that would enforce the laws, and serve as a centre where both tenants and landlords can get information about their rights and responsibilities, Mr. Mahama stated at the Youth Explosion 2008 platform organised for the political parties to outline their policies to the Christian community.

The third edition of the "Youth Explosion 2008," was organized by the Word Miracle Church and was on the general theme: "Breaking the Power of Apathy," was expected to help the youth to show responsibility towards God, their neighbours, their family, their friends and the entire society.

Mr. Mahama explained that NDC Government would ensure that rent control laws does not only concentrate on rent limits or rent increases.," it will deal with the landlord's responsibility to make repairs, lease renewals, evictions, and special rules for groups like senior citizens.

Mr. Mahama said the NDC government, through collaboration with the private sector and local estate developers would design housing schemes for the middle and low income earners. He accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of compounding the housing problems "as over the past seven to eight years the NPP government have failed to increase the housing unit, Dr Kwame Nkrumah build the Tema township and other houses across the nation. "This process of continuously putting up building by government continues from the Nkrumah regime through to the NDC regime, but unfortunately since the NPP took over the reign of governorship it has not added any unit. "The so called affordable houses are yet to be completed but they have managed to put up houses for the upper class leaving the middle and lower class to continue to suffer hardships." On the party's youth policy, the NDC Running Mate said: "Our commitment to the youth of Ghana is based on enshrining in their hearts and minds a culture of honest leadership and sound moral values that will sustain them in their quest to excel in life in all circumstances on merit and competence. We must be their role models of excellence and integrity."

Mr. Mahama, therefore urged the youth to strive for excellence in every achievable endeavour by setting honest goals based on a national sense of fair-play, virtue and industry.

The NDC Running Mate said: "The future leaders of Ghana must be imbued with a desire for excellence which derives in part from a solid and robust educational system that guarantees equal and fair opportunities for all citizens to obtain basic and relevant educational skills that provide them with the requisite knowledge, aptitude and attitude to contribute as capable and competent partners in our national development."

"Institutions charged with the training and nurturing of the youth and workers of our dear nation must be equipped and staffed with the relevant educational facilities, equipment and orientation. "In deed, the vision of upgrading all institutions to move our human development and training agenda to a level where we train our human capital with the requisite skills and know-how to achieve her development goals cannot be over- emphasized."

He said Professor John Evans Atta Mills Government sees Strategic Leadership and Industrial Management Training as a vital challenge to our dear nation for we must begin to identify, train and groom winners and leaders for our industrial and economic emancipation. He said the NDC Government would invest in the youth directly by providing them with opportunities for excellence and achievement. To this end the tertiary institutions, youth associations and civil societies will be directly charged to provide quality and quantifiable results to meet the strategic manpower needs. "Youth team building and group dynamics strategies that foster healthy competition will be encouraged at regional, district and community levels to help address development challenges of decentralized capacity building for social and economic growth. "Youth empowerment schemes that provide catalysts for employment generation and the fulfilment of youth aspirations will be researched and promoted with a view to giving our future leaders hope and a sense of personal and collective achievement," he said. Bishop Charles Agyin-Asare, Head Pastor of Word Miracle Church and host of the programme, explaining the rationale for the programme said a lot of the youth in Ghana were becoming apathetic and lacking a sense of responsibility hence the need to organize such programmes, which aimed at shaping the youth for future leadership. "We want to inculcate in the youth a habit that would make them show positive attitude towards life and do away with behaviours that do not make the society progress," he said Bishop Agyin-Asare expressed concern about how the youth danced and sung profane musical lyrics on television and radio and in-front of the elderly and how a lot of people, the majority being the youth throw rubbish indiscriminately on the street because of the lack of a sense of responsibility.

Being apathetic, he explained meant an "I don't care" attitude, which he said, made people indifferent to situations around them and condemned such attitudes Sharing a word of advice with the youth on the coming elections, Bishop Agyin-Asare urged them to be reasonable during the campaign period so that they would not be used to cause confusion. He urged those who had turned 18 years to make sure that they register and voted during the election period. He also announced that as part of the church's duty towards inculcating a responsible behaviour in the youth, the presidential aspirants of the NDC, NPP and CPP would be at the forum to share their policies on the youth with the congregation. He noted that the programme with the political leaders would help the youth make informed choices during the elections. 10 July 08