Mahama touts achievements on his ‘Accounting to the People’ tour

President John Dramani Mahama has on Tuesday  justified his 'Accounting to the people tour’, which  is aimed at showcasing projects done by his government across the country and to interact with Ghanaians.

The tour which has already  taken the President to the Western and Eastern regions in the past weeks, has been fiercely criticized by some critics including the opposition New Patriotic Party, describing it as an ‘abuse of incumbency’ which the President is taking advantage of to campaign ahead of the November 7, elections.

However, speaking on the third leg of the tour to inaugurate the Dodo-Pepesu to Nkwanta section of the Eastern Corridor road in the Volta region, President Mahama explained that, he is only rendering account to Ghanaians who gave him the mandate during the last election.

According to him, just as chiefs organized regular durbars to update their subjects about development in their areas, it is just prudent for him as the president to update Ghanaians about projects and programmes his government has undertaken in the last three years.

“When you are put in a position of leadership, it is necessary for you to account to your people and tell them  how  you have discharged that responsibility and also interact with them to ask them, what more they expect from you,” he noted.

He noted that, his government in the last three years has undertaken massive infrastructure projects in various sectors across the country, which has to be accounted for.

Touting his achievements at Hohoe on day one of his 3 days tour, the President stated that “in all the regions I have inspected and commissioned projects, be have interacted with the traditional leaders and the people to discuss other projects that they want government to undertake. If you look at the track record we have been able to achieve, it is phenomenal, from electrification, to water, healthcare, education, definitely the track record of this government is an enviable one.”

President, EU Ambassador inaugurate Pepesu-Nkwanta road

President Mahama and other dignitaries cutting tape to officially open the road

President John Mahama together with the European Union Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. William Hanna have inaugurated the Dodo-Pepesu to Nkwanta section of the eastern corridor road project in the Volta region on Tuesday.

The 46.4km road project was funded by the European Union (EU) at the cost of 32.5 million Euros, and executed by a Burkinabe construction firm, Kanazoe Ferres  between December 2012 and September, 2015.

Addressing  a durbar  to inaugurate the road as part of his Accounting to the People tour,President Mahama underscored the economic importance of the road, which he noted will facilitate the  carting of food stuff from the northern part of the region to market centers, which hitherto was a night for most farmers and truck drivers.

Section of the road

Mahama takes ‘Accounting to the People’ tour to Volta region

President John Mahama is making a stopover with his  ‘Accounting to the People’ train in the Volta region, starting today Tuesday, April 19 to Thursday, April 21, 2016.

The nationwide  tour which has already  been to the Western and Eastern regions, was to  showcase development projects undertaken by government in the last three years, as he inaugurate some completed  ones and inspect work on others. 

While in the Volta region for the next three days, President Mahama will  inaugurate some completed road projects including, a 46km stretch of the Eastern Corridor Road between  Dodo Pepesu and  Nkwanta funded by the European Union, the 70km Worawora to Dambai road, and a 17km Ho-Fume road.

He will also inspect work on some other roads such as,  the Dapa- Pampawie- Ahamasu Junction Cocoa Road project,  Dambai- Kete Krachi road as well as  cut sod for the construction of  the roads between Juapong- Abutia and well as the  Juapong-Volo-Adidome.

In the education sector,  President Mahama will officially open the region’s second Community Day SHS at Chinderi in the Krachi Nchumuru district and also commission a new Engineering Laboratory at the Ho Polytechnic.

During  the tour, the President will pay courtesy call on  the traditional leaders at Kadjebi, Hohoe and Kete-Krachi. He will also interact with cross section of residents in the region including traders at the Ho central market, to explain his programmes and policies as he seeks  a second term in office .

Source:.@Lambert_Coffie/Voltaonlinegh 

Southern Volta Basin Dev’t Authority in the Offing-President

President Mahama in a handshake with Torgbui Sri

President John Mahama has hinted of plans to establish  the Southern Volta Basin Development Authority  to drive the needed development in that part of the country. According to the President, the southern part of the Volta region holds a lots of investment potentials in tourism, aquaculture and other sectors, which needed to be harness through the coordination of such an agency.   

The President who was addressing   at a durbar at Keta, after a meeting with the   chiefs and elders of Anlo   on Saturday,  indicated that the National Development Planning Commission, (NDPC) has already begun preliminary works on the proposed Volta Basin Development Authority and the government will soon set up an implementation committee to spearhead the establishment of the authority. 

The meeting was at the behest of the Awomefia of Anlo, Torgbui Sri III, for the President to update  the traditional authorities  about  government’s projects and programmes in the area. Traditional authorities in the area at various events called for the setting up of an authority to spearhead the  holistic development of the area in order to tame the growing levels of unemployment.

Exclusive Audio: President Mahama's 2016 Easter Message

President Mahama exchanging pleasantries with chiefs at the durbar

President John Mahama has urged Ghanaians not to only dwell on the failures of the country Ghana but also celebrate her successes.

According to him, Ghana has chalked a lot of successes ahead of her peers in the West African sub region since independence, which we most often take for granted.

Delivering his 2016 Easter message at Sokpoe in the South Tongu district of the Volta on Saturday, President Mahama said  just as the lessons of Easter remind us of adversity and opportunity, so is the story of Ghana.

“Easter teaches us life is not one long smooth journey of opportunity alone. As a nation, 59 years of independence, we have gone through adversity but we have also had our moment of opportunity. And so what makes the difference between success and failure is that we don't lament on our moments of adversity but we recognize our moment of opportunity and take advantage of it,” President Mahama stated at the 32nd annual Tortsogbe (River crossing) festival celebrations by the Chiefs and people of Sokpoe, a community along the western bank of the Volta river.

He further noted that “we all want to go to heaven, but we cannot walk straight into heaven like this. You have to die first before you resurrect in heaven. So you must necessarily go through adversity in order to that you can have opportunity.”

He therefore believe, it is only when citizens appreciate and boast of the country’s successes that, others will be motivated to work hard to make Ghana a better place. Play attach audio and listen to full message.

Source: Voltaonlinegh/LA

President Mahama toured eastern corridor road project

President Mahama receiving briefing on the progress of work 

President John Mahama on Thursday , inspected  progress of  work on the  eastern corridor road project in the volta region.

The road which starts from the Asikuma junction, through  Peki, Have, Hohoe to Nkwanta in the region, was started under the President Mills  in 2012, with work moving at a snail pace due to lack of funds.

However, work is currently progressing steadily  on the Asikuma junction towards Kpeve, following the release of funds by government.  The  contractor, Green House developers International has already asphalted 20km of the stretch between Asikuma junction to Peki-Agbate.

Addressing separate durbars  at Todome and Ve-aGolokwati in the South Dayi  and  Afadjato south districts respectively,  President Mahama reiterated his government's commitment towards the completion of the project, which he said holds a lot of economic prospects for citizens along the corridor.

Section of the road under construction

Roads in Ho and two other towns to be asphalted

Ho Poly - SSNIT flat road

Road networks within three towns in the Volta region  are  to be  given an asphaltic facelift, President Mahama has revealed.

The re-surfacing which will take place before the end of 2016 forms  part of an urban roads improvement project being undertaken by government to improve  the standard of roads in Ho, Hohoe and Keta. 

President Mahama  who disclosed this, during  a courtesy called on the paramount chief of Asogli traditional area, Togbe Afede XIV, in Ho over the weekend, said 25 kilometers of roads have been earmarked for the asphaltic surfacing in Ho as part of the phase of the project. 

“The project is being awarded and very soon the contract will be on site to raise the standards of the roads with asphalt and this will also be done in Keta and Hohoe,” he stated.

The president’s assurance comes on the back sentiments expressed by  residents, which Togbe Afede re-echoed  at the meeting, about the  quality of some roads which were recently resurfaced with bituminous  chipping within the Volta regional capital.

President Mahama reopens refurbished Adomi Bridge

The refurbished Adomi bridge (c) Facebook 

President John Mahama has reopened the rehabilitated Adomi bridge at Atimpoku in the eastern region to commuters, Saturday afternoon.

The 335 metre suspension steel bridge across the Volta river was refurnished at a cost of 12.9 million euros by Bilfinger MCE GmbH of Austria within the period of 20months. 

The rehabilitation saw  the reinforcement of  steel beams  beneath the bridge deck, replacement of the hanger cables holding  the suspended  deck  to the steel arch, replacement of concrete on steel deck with asphalt and the provision pedestrian concrete walkway.

Speaking at the recommissioning ceremony, President Mahama noted that, the rehabilitation became necessary following deep cracks that have developed on  parts of the steel beams as a result of excess weight from overloaded trucks.

He therefore  cautioned  drivers  to adhere to axle load requirement and urged officials of the Ghana highways authority to enforce  the laws by  not allowing overloaded  trucks to access to the bridge, in order to elongate its life span.

Mahama climax ‘changing lives’ tour in Volta region ahead of primaries

President Mahama will climax his 'changing lives, transforming Ghana' tour with a 2days visit to the Volta region, the 'world bank' of the governing National Democratic Congress. 

As part of the visit which begins today, the president will commission one of the community day Senior High Schools in the Nkwanta South district  and later inspect work on the Hohoe-Pepesu section of the eastern corridor road project at Jasikan.

He will then have a meeting with regional party executives and MMDCEs at the residency in Ho later Wednesday  evening.

President Mahama is also expected to commission the permanent campus of the university of health and allied sciences at Sokode-Lokoe near Ho on Thursday morning, before meeting with members of the Volta regional house of Chiefs.

The visit will be climax with a mammoth rally at the Ho jubilee, where president will address thousands of party supporters in the region ahead of Saturday's presidential and parliamentary primaries of the party.

President Mahama join Chiefs and People of Ziope to celebrate Agbleza

Torgbui Binah Lawluvi welcoming President Mahama to the festival grounds

Government is to relaunch the Youth in Agriculture programme, under the new Youth Employment Agency (YEA) in order to boost young people's interest in that sector.

According to President John Mahama, the relaunch has become necessary following the restructuring of the then Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Agency (GYEEDA) into now Ghana Youth Employment Agency (YEA) backed by an Act of Parliament.

This, he said will ensure the equipping young people with the requisite skills, inputs and machinery to engage in large scale cultivation to meet the high market demand for agricultural produce.

Addressing the Chiefs and people of Ziope traditional area in the Agotime-Ziope district of the Volta region, during their annual Agbleza (farming festival) on Saturday, the President urged the youth in the area to take advantage of the programme to improve their livelihood.

Touching on the 200 community Senior  high schools promised by the NDC government, President Mahama disclosed that, work is currently progressing on 123 out the 200 across the country.

Nkonya Youth Call For Investigation of REGSEC

Cosmos Sarpong, Spokes Person

Residents of Nkonya led by the youth of the area has carried out their promise to hold a news conference as an alternative move to a demonstration which was stopped a fortnight ago by Police and Military in the area.

The Nkonya people represent a faction in dispute with Alavanyo over a piece of land for the past 90 years. Their press conference which could be likened to mini-demonstration was attended by over 600 residents who converged at Nkonya Nchumuru for the petition to be read.

The residents represented under a group called; Coalition of Orphans, Widows and Victims of Nkonya-Alavanyo Conflict, in their petition appealed to the President to institute an investigation into the activities of the Volta Regional Security Council (REGSEC) in relation to protracted communal conflict and the peace process.

Reading the petition, the spokesperson, Cosmos Sarpong claimed that the REGSEC since September 2013 was thwarting efforts by an NGO; Youth for Peace and Security Africa, YPS-AFRICA which started a peace building process among the people of both Nkonya and Alavanyo.

Ho chiefs to lead demo over gov't neglect

deplorable portions of the Ho-Adidome trunk road

Chiefs in the Asogli traditional area have threatened to lead the youth of Ho to demonstrate against the government if work do not immediately resume on the Ho-Adidome-Sogakope trunk road.

Togbi Anikpi III, divisional chief of Ho-Heve disclosed this categorically at a meeting with President John Mahama on Sunday at the Asogli state palace in Ho, after the president inspected the road, which started in March 2010 and was scheduled to be completed in ten months but have since delayed with work currently at a standstill for lack of funds.

‘Are we not part of the country or is it because the region is considered as ‘World Bank’ that come what may whether our needs are catered for or not you are sure of our votes and therefore no serious attention is given to our development projects… the youth of the town are determined and come Wednesday the demonstration is coming on if we do not see any sign that work has resumed on the roads..’  Togbe Anikpi stated without mincing words.

The road has become the preferred route for most drivers from the Central and Northern sectors of the Volta Region to Accra instead of the ferry crossing at Senchi following the closure of the Adomi Bridge at Atimpoku for major repair works.

Heavy rains have however rendered much of the uncompleted portions of the road especially between Adaklu and Mafi non-motorable as a result of uncompleted bridges, culverts and lack of warning signs.