VIVID ACCOUNT OF PREZ NADAA'S RECENT ASHANTI TOUR

President Akufo-Addo recently visited the Ashanti region on a five-day working tour. In the following report, yours truly, Ashanti Today, brings to you, a recap of the activities the President undertook during the period.

Upon assumption of office, President Akufo-Addo told Ghanaians that, every year, he would be undertaking working tours of all the administrative regions of the country to be abreast of happenings on the ground instead of waiting for his functionaries to give him reports. Since the start of this year’s regional tours, Ashanti is the seventh he paid this presidential visit.

It is significant to note, that of all the six regions he had toured earlier, it is only the Ashanti region that the President spent five days.

 Day One

In line with tradition and courtesy, President Akufo-Addo could not have begun the working tour without first calling on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, the overlord of Asanteman to inform him and his subjects of his presence in the region and his mission during the period of his stay. That was on Friday, August 10, 2018. 

The 1^st official activity on the President’s itinerary was the ground breaking ceremony at the former Unity Oil fuel station at Atonsu in the newly created Asokwa Municipality. It signaled the official commencement of work on the Greater Kumasi Roads Facelift project.

This project involves the Asokwa Eastern by pass road dualization extension by two kilometres from the Ahinsan Market to the Dompoase Junction near the Regional Fire Service Head office, expansion of the lining of the Susan River with a new bridge and pedestrian footbridges at certain portions while 10 kilometres of the roads within the surrounding communities are also to be upgraded.

The Greater Kumasi Roads facelift project includes remodeling of the four roundabouts on the KNUST-Ejisu road among others. The Asokwa Eastern bypass project is being jointly funded by the French Development Agency and the Government of Ghana through the Roads Fund. While the French Development Agency is providing about 57 million Dollars for the main project, the Government of Ghana is to take care of the payment of compensation and related cost that would facilitate completion of the works. The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei Mensah, was particularly excited that, the dualization is to resume following the failure of the previous government to continue.

To the delight of the people, the Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr. Akwasi Amoako Atta, enumerated road projects in the Ashanti region earmarked for construction beginning 2018.

President Akufo-Addo assured the chiefs and people of the region that he and his government will always be grateful to them for their sustained support before and after the elections. He noted that, as Ghana’s 2^nd biggest city, Kumasi deserves better roads than it had presently and that ‘this programme is to upgrade the roads network to befit the status of the city.’

F

rom Atonsu, the next stop was the Vesta Oil Mill Limited at Deduako in the Bosomtwe district which is seeking government’s adoption under its industrial flagship initiative of One District One Factory. The company, which is undergoing expansion, produces cooking oil and animal feed from soya bean.

President Akufo-Addo, accompanied by the Trades and Industry Minister, Mr. Alan Kyeremateng and others, toured the factory’s premises to learn at first hand, the production processes. That ended the President’s public activities for the day one.

Day Two

Just as was done at the start of the entire tour, President Akufo-Addo, led by the Sekyere Central District Chief Executive, Mr. Kwadwo Banahene Bediako, paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of Nsuta, Nana Adu Agyei Bonsafo, at his palace to seek ‘permission’ to tour the traditional area on day two of the tour.

As has been the norm, Nana Adu Agyei Bonsafo used the opportunity to make some request to the President which were mostly about the bad nature of the feeder roads in the area. There were assurances by the Roads and Highways Minister that some of the roads mentioned by the paramount chief had already been awarded on contract.

From the palace, President Akufo-Addo, in the company of the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, visited the North America Farms operated by the Ashanti Regional Representative on the Council of State, Nana Owusu Achiaw Brempong, who is also the chief of Akrofooso near Asante Agona. During the visit, the 400 acre fall army worm resistant maize variety was being harvested. Nana Owusus Achiaw Brempong told President Akufo-Addo that, ‘the maize is able to resist the attack of 16 different worms.’

A 19-acre land had been prepared for a dry season vegetable cultivation under a central controlled irrigation system that draws its water from a small dam.

 The President was led also to inspect the mechanized maize drying facility and another 150 acre conventional maize farm all in the Nkujua Aframso community in the Sekyere Central district.

The President made a stopover at Beposo to familiarize himself with activities of the Rockland Farms, which began in 2013 with about eight thousand birds, is expanding to increase the birds stock to 60 thousand and also to include guinea fowls and poultry feed production in the production line. Upon a request for financial support, President Akufo-Addo urged the poultry farmer to submit a proposal through the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Boakye-Asenso for consideration.

 The 2nd day’s schedule ended at Beposo where the chiefs and people had organized a durbar in the President’s honour. The paramount chief of Beposo told the President that, he had already provided about 21 thousand hectares of land for the Planting for Food and Jobs and also for the One District, One Factory project in the traditional area. He gifted the President with a sheep and cloth in recognition of the performance of the government so far.

President Akufo-Addo in a remark, disclosed that his government was considering enacting a legislation to make it mandatory for parents to enroll their school going-aged children in school to at least, the second cycle level.

President Akufo-Addo started day three of his activities at the St. Peter’s Cathedral Minor Basilica where he joined hundreds of worshippers to observe the Mass superintended over by the Kumasi Metropolitan Archbishop, Most Reverend Justice Anokye. The President had been invited by a Member of the Council of State, Mrs. Georgina Kusi, proprietress of Kumasi-based Georgia Hotel and an Executive Member of the Guild of St. Theresa of the Church, to witness her presentation of a new set of robes for the church choir.

 The Church presented the President Rosary, a Stool and specially designed Muffler as a memorabilia of his visit to the Cathedral. The Vicar General, Rev. Fr. Louis Tufuor, appealed to government to take over the running of the Christ the Teacher College of Education established by the Catholic Church about four years ago. The Church also said prayers for divine guidance and protection for the President.

In a Homily, the Archbishop said Ghana could enjoy a stability, peace and security if the leaders would give equal attention to the needs of the marginalized in society, avoid excessive ‘partisanship and give ear to dissenting views.’ President Akufo-Addo indicated that his government was determined to better run the national economy without any more external directions upon the expiry of the existing Extended IMF programme.

The 19 point-five kilometre feeder road from Wioso to Mpasaaso Number One in the Atwima Nwabiagya South district received the attention of then candidate Akufo-Addo during the 2016 electioneering for improvement. In fulfilment of his campaign promise, the President was at Mpasaaso to break the ground for the construction work to officially commence at a cost of 17 million Ghana Cedis.

The Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr. Akwasi Amoako Atta, told the people, that government was considering extending the construction from Mpasaaso Number One to Nyinahini as an alternative route for travelers on the main Kumasi-Bibiani highway. President Akufo-Addo told people in the area to ignore any one who would denigrate the free second cycle education policy. Instead, they should embrace it and enroll their children in schools so as to enjoy it.

The 3^rd Day’s itinerary ended at the Manhyia Palace where President Akufo-Addo joined the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu and Asanteman to mark Akwasidai. President Akufo-Addo. Through the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei Mensah, the President presented a sheep, undisclosed sum of cash and assorted drinks to the Asantehene for the celebration.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu praised President Akufo-Addo for his performance so far and also pledged the support of Asanteman the government. President Akufo-Addo continued to explain the concept behind the free education policy and its importance to national development. He therefore called for the support for all to make it successful.

Day Four

Day Four began with the launch of the Youth in Afforestation Programme in Kumasi, a joint initiative between the Forestry Commission and the Youth Employment Agency. It is to engage about 20 thousand youth in afforestation and forest recovery in the country. President Akufo-Addo pledged his commitment to any initiative that seeks to protect the environment in line with the Sustainable Development Goals which has him and others as global Advocates.

At Kaase in the newly created Asokwa Municipality, the President cut the tape to officially adopt under the One District, One Factory programme, the Springs and Bolts company as the first in the country to be outdoored under the flagship industrialization programme. It was at this event that President Akufo-Addo hinted that two global giant automobile companies would soon officially announce their plans of setting up their assembly plants in Ghana.

From here, the President went to Atwima Oyoko  in the Atwima Nwabiagya North district where he broke the ground for work to start on a 150-apartment estate. The Estate, named after former President John Agyekum Kufuor, is being built by the State Housing Company under the Ministry of Works and Housing. A Deputy sector Minister, Madam Freda Prempeh disclosed that government is working around the clock to build about 200 thousand low-cost houses in addition to about 100 thousand houses for public sector workers starting from 2019.

5th Day

The Assemblies of God Church provided, perhaps, the best platform for the President to end his five-day working tour of the Ashanti region as he was made the Special Guest of Honour at their 29^th biennial General Council Meeting at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. The church prayed for divine grace and direction for the President and his government and also presented him with a gift.

The General Superintendent of the Church, Rev. Prof. Frimpong Manso took advantage of the occasion to chastise some Christian leaders and Prophets for their works which, according to him, are not from God. He warned leaders of the various congregations of the Assemblies of God Church against entertaining such persons on their premises in the name of funds raising lest they lure the members to their fold. The General Superintendent called also for a law to compel all churches including the one sole proprietorship to account for incomes from their church activities. President Akufo-Addo called for a state-church partnership to accelerate national development. He repeated his plans to enact a law to back the free second cycle education policy and to also compel parents to enroll their wards in school.

During the five-day period, President Akufo Addo held also closed door meetings with selected Ministers of the gospel, Muslim Leaders and later the Press Corps to show appreciation for the extensive coverage given to his tour.

As has been the protocol, the President was accompanied by a host of Ministers of State, MPs, Chief Executives of some Institutions of state and some national Executive officers of the governing New Patriotic Party, NPP.