President Nana Akufo-Addo is expected to begin a four-day working visit to the Ashanti Region later on Friday, October 1, 2021.

He is likely to pay a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, inspect and commission some projects in the region.

Ahead of his arrival, the Ashanti Regional branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in a statement, sought answers from the president on pertinent issues in the region they described as alarming.

In a statement released in anticipation of the President’s tour, the party cited the increasing rate of violent crimes and the frequent hiring of private jets for his foreign travels.

“The Ashanti Region tops the list of violent crimes among all 16 regions in Ghana. The security agencies that are supposed to lead the charge are seriously under-resourced. It is our expectation that President Akufo-Addo will halt his frequent hiring of Private jets for his foreign travels at great cost to the nation and plough these funds into the acquisition of bulletproof vests, crash helmets, and other safety equipment for the security agencies so that they will be in a better position to curb the alarming incidence of violent crime in the Ashanti Region.”

“We hope and pray President Akufo-Addo will provide answers to these pertinent issues,” the statement added.

Read the full statement below;
PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO MUST PROVIDE ANSWERS TO THESE PERTINENT ISSUES AS HE BEGINS HIS ASHANTI REGIONAL TOUR TODAY

We have received information that President Nana Akufo-Addo will begin his tour of the Ashanti Region today, Friday,1st October 2021. This is coming in the wake of a successful and well-received “Thank You” tour by former President John Dramani Mahama of the region some weeks ago.

It is unfortunate that President Akufo-Addo has nothing substantial to show for the 5 years he has been in office in the region, which has largely been described as the Political stronghold of the New Patriotic Party.

In the run-up to the 2020 elections, President Akufo-Addo, in his desperation for re-election, purported to have cut sod for the commencement of the Boankra Inland Port and the 83.5-kilometer standard gauge railway line from Kumasi to Obuasi. This has turned out to be one of the greatest Political deceptions of the 21st century, as there is nothing to show at these sites almost one year down the line. We expect President Akufo-Addo to offer an unqualified apology to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu in particular, and the inhabitants of the Ashanti region for this great deception.

Also, the Ashanti Region, as Ghana’s centre of commencing, continue to reel under the incompetent economic management of the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government occasioned by the recent introduction of killer taxes, unannounced increase in the prices of petroleum products, steep depreciation of the cedi and the closure of land borders with neighboring countries.

These factors have conspired to raise the standard of living to unacceptable levels in the region and also create an unfavourable business environment, leading to several Ashanti businesses either folding up or almost on the brink of collapse.

The poultry industry in the Ashanti Region has been brought to its knees owing to the shortage of Maize which is a key ingredient in the preparation of poultry feed. The good people of the Ashanti Region want to know what has become of the much-touted “Planting For Food And Jobs” policy, which was supposed to boost the production of cereals of which Maize is an integral part.

Also, Mr.President, small-scale miners in the Ashanti Region want to know why your party people continue to engage in illegal Galamsey activities in furtherance of the “Party hia sika agenda” whilst they have been asked to stop all mining-related activities, notwithstanding the fact they have legal authorization so to do.

President Mahama, on his recent, Thank You tour of the Ashanti Region, touted his unmatched developmental track record like The Kejetia Central Market Project, The Kumasi Airport Project, Rattray Park, Konongo-Kumawu-Kwahu water Project,500-bed Afari Military Hospital,120-bed Fomena District Hospital,120-Kumawu District Hospital,250-bed Ashanti Regional Hospital,14 brand new Senior High Schools to mention but a few. We expect President Akufo-Addo to tell the whole world why he has abandoned these hospital projects at the time the people are seeking quality Healthcare and how he has used the over 300billion borrowed so far to impact the lives of the people in the Ashanti region.

Public sector workers in the Ashanti Region want to know why President Akufo-Addo and Dr. Bawumia have had their salaries increased by a whopping 79%, only to hand them a paltry 4% pay rise. Does the NPP government actually value the contribution of public sector workers in the development of this country?

Finally, the insecurity situation in the Ashanti Region has reached frightening levels. The Ashanti region tops the list of violent crimes among all 16 regions in Ghana. The security agencies that are supposed to lead the charge are seriously under-resourced. It is our expectation that President Akufo-Addo will halt his frequent hiring of Private jets for his foreign travels at great cost to the nation and plough these funds into the acquisition of bulletproof vests, crash helmets, and other safety equipment for the security agencies so that they will be in a better position to curb the alarming incidence of violent crime in the Ashanti region. We hope and pray President Akufo-Addo will provide answers to these pertinent issues.

Thank You

Signed

Abass Nurudeen
ARCO