We'll Continue NDC Projects - Minister

The Deputy Minsiter for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, has stated that there would be no need for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to channel its resources into campaign financing, come the year 2004 since there would be more visible signs of development to influence the judgement of the electorate.

In this case, she reiterated government's resolve not to discontinue with projects started by the previous government, but to continue with the viable ones.

The deputy minister made the declaration at the inauguration of the Koforidua chapter of the women's wing of the NPP.

Signs, she said, would definitely show that the party has the nation at heart and not what people from certain quarters would want others to believe.

Hajia Mahama further explained that the current HIPC status of the nation had its genesis in the NDC government which manipulated the external loans they contracted to the detriment of the country.

The NDC, she said, were against the country opting for HIPC as it would expose their corrupt acts because they had nothing to show for the billions of loans they contracted.

A HIPC conditionality, among others, was for the beneficiary to use the interest on the loan to provide education and services for the people and questioned the negativity of such a condition.

The NDC's lack of managerial acumen, she noted, had plundered the nation into its current economic woes which the NPP in a matter of months has been able to salvage adding that the populace would soon enjoy the benefits that have been put in place.

In a bid to alleviate poverty, Hajia Mahama announced that 10 cassava processing plants would soon be set up with communities benefiting from the ESRP with the loans being lodged with the rural banks.

On the Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF), she said, the Auditor-General's report indicated that the previous MCEs set up a company to disburse over a billion cedis which could not be accounted for.

"If we drag them to the Fast Track Courts to account for the monies, they would soon go hay-wire accusing us of witch-hunting," she emphasised.

Hajia Mahama announced that the disbursement of the Common Fund had been streamlined to enable communities to plan or project their developmental projects into the future.

She also informed the women that the government was going to give a face-lift to befit the status of all regional and district capitals saying that life was not only in Accra.

The deputy minister enjoined the women to take advantage of the establishment of the town councils to ensure that they participate actively in what concerns their well-being.

She disabused the minds of peoples of the Zongo communities that the NPP was out to sack them to Nigeria saying that it was a negative political ploy being used against the party.

The MCE, Nana Agyei Boateng urged the women's wing to galvanise support for the party to entrench their positions so as to consolidate their gains.

He appealed to women to involve themselves in productive ventures as currently management of homes lay on the shoulders of both husband and wife.

He also urged women to organise themselves and take part in agro-forestry as there was to access funds.

Asked to comment on how the assembly was going to retrieve monies from the previous MCE, he said, the issue had a lot of legal implications as the company was a limited liability company which did not have assets.

"The assets they had were our own residential accommodation."

The National Women's Organiser, Obaa Yaa Afrifa saluted the women for the patience they had endured over the years and hinted that they would soon enjoy their gains.