Nation Building Updates: Regional ministers tout govt's achievements

Five regional ministers have touted the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government’s achievements since assuming office in January 2017.

At the 5th edition of the Nation Building Updates in Accra on the theme: “Rebuilding the Ghanaian Economy”, five ministers from the Western, Central, Northern, Volta and Bono regions recounted various initiatives and interventions the government had rolled out in the past three-and-half years to revive the Ghanaian economy.

They made presentations with pictorial evidence on various projects initiated in the education sector, road infrastructure, agriculture, water and sanitation, sports, and business support services, which had rejuvenated the ailing economy inherited from the previous government.

The weekly event provides a platform for government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to render an account of their stewardship to the public.

Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Western Regional Minister, said through government’s flagship initiatives, the Region had witnessed 1.8 per cent growth rate due to the heavy investment in agriculture, oil and gas, and mining.

As a result of low GDP growth rates from 2014 to 2016, he said the Akufo-Addo-led government’s innovative macroeconomic policies and programmes had resulted in significant economic growth with 8.1 per cent growth in 2017 and 6.9 per cent in 2019.

He said the Region’s rich mineral resources, including gold, bauxite and cocoa, had significantly contributed to the national GDP growth rate.

Mr Darko-Mensah said the government had initiated entrepreneurial programmes to build the capacity of graduate youth and lauded the Akufo-Addo Administration for building the George Grant University of Mines and Energy at Tarkwa, improving the Takoradi Technical University infrastructure and expanding the railway network in the region.

Mrs Evelyn Ama Kumi-Richardson, the Bono Regional Minister, said the government constructed a 5,000 capacity Youth Development Centre in Dormaa while plans were afoot to construct another 15,000 capacity youth centre in Sunyani.

On agriculture, the Minister said through the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), farmers had benefited from improved and subsidised seedlings, which had increased crop yield.

As of September, this year, Mrs Kumi-Richardson said a total of 467.47 metric tonnes of improved and subsidised seeds were supplied to farmers.

She said a total of 16,387.37 hectares of land was cultivated using seeds supplied to farmers, while 90,249 people benefited from the PFJ, comprising 61,375 males and 28,874 females.

Mr Kwamena Duncan, the Central Regional Minister, Spoke about the construction of the Ekumfi Fruit Juice Processing Factory and the Casa De Ropa Potato under the One-District One-Factory programme.

He said the Region had seen increased crop yield in cocoa production as a result of the implementation of the Cocoa Productivity Enhancement Programmes for 2019 and 2020.

Mr Salifu Saeed, the Northern Regional Minister, lauded President Akufo-Addo for spearheading the resolution of the chieftaincy litigation in the Kingdom of Dagbon, leading to the enskinment of the Paramount Chief, Yaa-Naa Abubakari Mahama II.

He said the peaceful atmosphere had brought developmental projects including classroom blocks, roads, water systems, farmers receiving farm inputs and subsidised fertilizers under the PFJ and Planting for Export and Rural Development.

Through the PFJ, the Region was able to produce a significant amount of foodstuff to feed Ghanaians, he said, and urged investors, both home and abroad, to invest there, with the availability of large tracts of land.

Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, commended President Akufo-Addo for ensuring peace and stability in the region, saying the recent separatist group hostilities had been brought under control.

He said the Region had not been left behind in terms of infrastructural development and that there were ongoing and completed projects on roads, water and sanitation, agriculture, education and business support services.

Government had created jobs, constructed roads, built schools and improved the living standards of the people, he added.