ASSESS GOVT BASED ON ACHIEVEMENTS — Upper West NDC (PAGE 13, SEPT 18, 2010)

THE Upper West regional secretariat of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on Ghanaians to assess the current government based on what it has achieved rather than what its detractors were saying.
According to the party, what had been achieved by the NDC in just 18 months far outweighed what the NPP did in eight years and that the NDC could give only 45 per cent to the NPP should marks be awarded.
Addressing a press conference in Wa on the achievements of the President Mills – led administration, the NDC Regional Propaganda Secretary, Mr Yakubu Yahaya, observed that, anytime the NPP was in opposition, the country witnessed massive development and hoped that the NPP would continue to be in opposition for more development projects to be undertaken.
He said when the NDC took over the administration of the country, a number of projects and programmes had been initiated and implemented in the Upper West Region. Among these he said were investment in people, expansion of infrastructure for growth, health care delivery, subsidies on education and single spine salary policy.
He said a summary of projects so far undertaken by the government in the Wa municipality and the eight other districts were very impressive and mentioned the small water town projects at Charia, Busa, Kaleo, Babile and Funsi as clear evidence.
He said 116 communities had also benefited from a total of 130 boreholes in the region while approval for the sinking of additional 29 boreholes was in the pipeline for the Wa West and Sissala West districts.
Mr Yahaya said the water supply system at the Saint Francis of Assisi Girls SHS had improved significantly while the quantum of money for development through the Regional Co-ordinating Council on infrastructure, essential medicines and non – medicine consumables amounted to GHC 44,224,990.69.
He pointed out that this did not include what came into the district assemblies directly from the Central government and projects like the regional hospital in Wa.
Touching on the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP), Mr Yahaya said since the NDC took power salary arrears for five months had been settled while a total of 56 ghost names were detected in the Wa East district alone.
He said for the past 18 months a number of recruitments had been made under the NYEP in the areas of Teaching Assistants, Community Police, ICT, hair dressing and people with disability.
He was not happy that the Bole – Tinga – Bamboi highway which was constructed by the NPP government had developed potholes. He said they had already scooped off the pot holes to pave way for reconstruction work to begin.
“Comparing that stretch to the Wa – Bole stretch which was constructed in the 1980’s one will be compelled to say that what the NPP did is huge financial loss to the state and the various actors right from those who awarded the contract, the technical service providers and the one who executed the job should be held accountable,” Mr Yahaya added.
He challenged ex – President Kufuor to let Ghanaians know whether he had been able to offer just a simple explanation for the numerous corruption allegations levelled against him and his government officials instead of castigating the NDC of being corrupt.
Mr Yahaya sent a congratulatory message to Nana Akufo–Addo for being elected the flag bearer of the NPP and said the NDC welcomed him into the presidential race once more.
Sounding more proverbial, the regional NDC propaganda secretary said the success of Nana was like peeling of an onion with a lot of layers underneath and that Professor Mills would continue to overwhelm Nana come 2012.