'We’ve moved Zongos away from rice and sugar politics to real development' – Bawumia

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has said the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has delivered on its promises made to the country’s Zongos and Inner Cities.

He said the Akufo-Addo government has implemented life-changing policies in the Zongos, unlike previously when all they got was “rice and sugar politics”

Dr. Bawumia said this when and other NPP executives visited the National Chief Imam, Sheik Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu.

He said the introduction of the Free SHS policy has ensured that “there are no excuses for Junior High School graduates not to pursue secondary education.”

According to him, about 40 science students from mainly Muslim communities have also received sponsorships to study medicine in Cuba.

“As we prepared our 2016 manifesto, we looked at the Zongos and we identified two key problems that we thought God willing if we had the chance, we would address. One was education,” the Vice President said.

“The other was to look for a vehicle that will prioritise development in Zongos because we wanted to move away from the rice and sugar type of development.

“We wanted to focus on the real needs of the people and we wanted to move away from what we will do when it is Ramadan and Hajj, which seemed to be the way the Zongos were dealt with.”

Dr. Bawumia also used the opportunity to introduce himself to the Chief Imam as the NPP’s running mate for the 2020 elections.