NPP will not abandon Afram Plains – Bawumia

The Vice-Presidential candidate to Nana Akufo-Addo for the 2016 elections, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has revealed the NPP is considering a significant investment in the Afram Plains to make it a true bread basket as part of the overall strategy to transform agriculture in the country.

According to him, unlike the ruling National Democratic Congress, the NPP will not abandon the people of Afram Plains, citing the record of the previous NPP administration to back his case.

Dr. Bawumia made these comments when he toured the Afram Plains South and North constituencies on Friday and Saturday to interact with the Chiefs, elders and people in various communities in the two constituencies.

Speaking at Ekye-Amanfrom in the Afram Plains South Constituency on Friday, Dr. Bawumia indicated he had noticed a deep feeling among constituents that the area and its people had been abandoned, with some projects initiated by the NPP even brought to an abrupt end.

Dr. Bawumia outlined the numerous developmental projects initiated under the previous NPP administration and stated that unlike the current administration, the next NPP administration will not abandon the area and its people.

“Let me remind you of some of the projects we did from 2001 to 2008. We put up 129 Classroom blocks in the Afram Plains, 96 three-unit classroom blocks and 33 six- unit classroom blocks. In Ekye Amanfrom, we built a three-classroom block and a six unit Classroom block which you are all witnesses to. We also rehabilitated two 4-unit classroom blocks.

“With respect to roads, let me mention just a few. We constructed the Gallon Mmienu – Tribu Road, the Gallon Mmienu – Samankwae road, the Asenyensu – Akatsi Road, the Maame Krobo Junction – Asankansu – Prapra baabi daa Road, the Tease – Faso Bator Road, the Offinso Junction to Gudupe Road, the Kwamepon Nkwanta – Kwasi Mfanti Road, the Maame Krobo Juntion – Forifori – Tease Road and many more. You are witnesses to the fact that we even started others like the Dedesu-Donkorkrom road which has been abandoned since the NDC took over,” he said.

Dr. Bawumia added the numerous electrification projects including the extension of electricity to communities like Ntowaboma, Adiemmra, Bridge Ano and Amakwakrom.

At Bruben and Donkorkrom, both in the Afram Plains North Constituency, Dr. Bawumia made mention of the Afram Plains District Agricultural Development Programme initiated in 2006 which saw the investment of US$ 32 million in the Afram Plains alone in furtherance of the vision to make the place the bread basket of the country.

He noted that the amount of US$ 32 million is normally split for dozens of districts for their agricultural development, but indicated that it was all handed to the Afram Plains because of the potential in the area and the NPP’s commitment to make the area a hub for food production for the domestic market and for export.

Again, Dr. Bawumia mentioned the Millennium Challenge Account funds out of which a substantial part was put to use in the Afram Plains, as another example of the prioritization of the area by the NPP.

The Vice-Presidential candidate told the enthusiastic populace who met him in both towns that God willing, the next NPP government under Nana Akufo-Addo will invest even more in the Afram Plains to completely transform the area.

“This time we are looking even bigger, we are thinking of a big investment in Afram Plains to transform the area and make it a true bread basket of the country. This new programme, God willing under the next NPP administration will see more investments in infrastructure like roads and agricultural inputs for the Afram Plains to support large scale farming as well as social infrastructure like schools, medical facilities, electricity, portable drinking water etc. to make the hardworking populace here comfortable.

“We will make the Afram Plains the bread basket of Ghana and West Africa. It will take thinking, investment and commitment, and we are prepared and we have the capacity.

The NDC has increased our debt burden from 9.5 billion cedis to 90 billion within the last six years, this is minus all the proceeds from Cocoa, Oil, Gold and taxes. If they had invested just two billion cedis in the Afram Plains, this place would have been totally transformed,”he added.

Dr. Bawumia was accompanied on his tour by William Hor and Nana Koree, the Parliamentary candidates for the Afram Plains South and North constituencies respectively, constituency executives of the two constituencies as well as some regional executives.