Nana Akufo-Addo tours his constituency

The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said that it was with pain that the government had to accept the decision to increase the price of petroleum products.

He explained that despite the hash economic consequences on the people the decision was right if the country had to move forward in it's developmental efforts.

Nana Akufo-Addo, who is the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, gave the explanation at the weekend when he toured parts of his constituency to explain government policies to the people.

The tour took him to Anweabeng, Akooko, Atukrom and Bunso.

He said the government appreciated the fact that Ghanaians always showed understanding when they were told the truth and so the government would always present the truth to them and expressed the hope that they would always appreciate the situation and stand by the government.

Nana Akuffo-Addo said the government would continue with the mass cocoa spraying exercise because it formed part of its programme of revamping the cocoa industry as a means of making the sector more attractive to the youth.

He said government was paying the highest price for cocoa since the country's independence as a means of putting more money into the pockets of farmers and to help to create wealth in the rural areas.

He called on his constituents to ignore the criticism of the opposition saying if they had taken good decision while they were in government for the past 20 years, the country would have developed and would not be facing the current problems.

He said plans for the rehabilitation of Atukrom-Fihya road had been completed and soon funds would be allocated for the job to commence and that the Anweabeng-Nobi road would soon be awarded on contract to connect the Anweabeng area to the East Akim District.

As part of his tour, Nana Akufo-Addo presented a cheque for seven million cedis from his MPs share of the District Assemblies' Common Fund (DACF) to the chiefs and people of Akooko to pay for the community's share of 220 million cedis community water project.

Reacting to a question, Mr Emmanuel Victor Asihene, East Akim District Chief Executive, explained that it was not possible for the District Assembly to give every applicant part of the Poverty Alleviation Fund.

He said the money allocated for the Fund in the District last year was just over 200 million cedis and there were over 2,000 applicants.

Mr Asihene said the District also had over 300 towns and communities and that even if all of them were to share the amount, not every applicant would get the loan.

Mr Martin Asare, Abuakwa Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), explained that Nana Akufo-Addo often allocated 60 per cent of his share of the DACF for educational projects, 30 per cent for water and sanitation and 10 per cent for roads.