The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has in a significant move towards bolstering Ghana’s infrastructure launched the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) and commissioned essential earth-moving equipment at the Black Star Square today.

The event, aimed at enhancing the country’s road networks, marks a pivotal milestone in the government’s ongoing efforts to decentralize development and improve the quality of life for Ghanaians.

In his address, President Akufo-Addo highlighted the critical role of road infrastructure in economic growth and social development. “Roads connect communities, facilitate trade, enable access to education and healthcare, and ultimately improve the quality of life for the citizenry,” he stated.

Despite significant progress in recent years, the President acknowledged that many district roads remain in poor condition, impeding economic activities and development.

The DRIP is designed to empower Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) with the necessary resources and equipment to rehabilitate and maintain roads within their areas. This initiative aligns with the government’s commitment to decentralization, providing local authorities with the tools to effect meaningful change.

The President announced the commissioning of a comprehensive fleet of 2,240 pieces of equipment, including motor graders, backhoes, rollers, wheel loaders, bulldozers, tipper trucks, concrete mixers, water tankers, and low beds. These machines are expected to play a crucial role in the nationwide improvement of road infrastructure.

A four-member committee at each MMDA will oversee the implementation of the programme, ensuring high standards of quality and accountability. The committees will include technical officers from the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Roads and Highways, along with a representative from the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces. The Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) will chair these committees.

President Akufo-Addo emphasized the job creation potential of the DRIP, projecting the creation of 10,000 jobs for mechanics, engineers, and artisans. He described the nation’s road network as the “circulatory system of our economy,” crucial for commerce, education, and healthcare.

Reflecting on past achievements, the President noted that from 2017 to December 2023, his administration completed 12,830 kilometers of roads and added six interchanges, a significant increase compared to the 4,636 kilometers and five interchanges completed during the Mills/Mahama era from 2009 to 2016. Current projects include ten new interchanges, with five expected to be completed by the end of the year and five more by 2025.

The President stressed the importance of maintaining local road networks for economic development. Efficient travel reduces time and costs, boosting local economies and productivity. By empowering local authorities with resources and equipment, the government aims to foster a sense of ownership and responsibility, ensuring that road projects are tailored to meet local needs and conditions.

President Akufo-Addo called for a collaborative approach to the success of the DRIP and urged MMDCEs to adhere to the operational manual issued by supervising ministries and stakeholders, ensuring proper use and maintenance of the equipment. He also called on the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development to establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track progress and ensure accountability.

In closing, the President reiterated the government’s commitment to improving road networks across Ghana, launching a new era of progress and development. “Together, we can build a Ghana where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive, where our communities are connected, and where our nation can continue to grow and prosper,” he concluded.

The launch of the DRIP is a significant step towards transforming Ghana’s road infrastructure, promising enhanced connectivity, economic growth, and improved quality of life for all citizens.

Source// Obohnewsonline.com.

The New Patriotic Communication Director for Suhum Constituency in the Eastern Region Samuel Baah popularly known as Gosh, has promised to sacrifice his position to ensure that NPP wins Suhum in the upcoming general elections come December 7.

Gosh made this statement when he granted an interview with Kyebi-based Susubiribi FM hosted by Odiagoro on Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

The Suhum Communication Director was responding to a petition submitted to the Suhum Member of Parliament, Oboafo Kwadjo Asante by the Constituents of Suhum over the weekend after a mammoth health walk organized by the ‘Friend of Oboafo’.

In the petition, they pleaded with the MP to come and contest in the December 7 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate else they would vote against the NPP.

Samuel Baah in his response whether he supports the content of the petition or not, affirmed his stance on making sure that NPP wins in Suhum.

He clarified that His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has to win the general election with fifty percent plus one vote to become the next president of Ghana to be able to implement his good policies for Ghanaians.

According to him, the Suhum Constituents have decided to vote again to maintain NPP in power should Oboafo Kwadjo Asante contest in the parliamentary elections.

He then promised to sacrifice his position as the Constituency Communications director of the party if that was the only way to ensure that the NPP won in Suhum.

“We have a next Government to protect and I’m ready to sacrifice my position in the party to work towards that,” Gosh mentioned.

When asked about the party’s elected parliamentary candidate, he claimed that the decision of the electorates in the December 7 elections must be considered paramount and it is better to go with one eye than to go with two eyes blind. After all the current MP, Oboafo Kwadjo Asante is an MP on the ticket of the NPP.

He therefore admonishes the petitioners to exercise restraint and have faith in the response from the MP.

Baah noted that he is optimistic that the MP will respect their clarion call on him.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Source// Obohnewsonline.com.

The Parliamentary candidate for Akuapem North Constituency in the Eastern Region, Sammi Awuku has noted that if elected to relish his Parliamentarian dream he will set up a scholarship scheme for brilliant but needy okada riders in the area.

According to him, most of the Okada riders are SHS graduates and due to financial constraints facing their parents they could not further their education to greater heights.

He indicated that some who are also graduates of tertiary education have ventured into the Okada business because there are not enough jobs in the country.

Sammi Awuku added that if he wins the seat to become the next Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, his Scholarship Secretariat would support all those who seek to further their education since over-reliance on the Okadar business for survival won’t be helpful to nation-building.

Speaking further Mr. Awuku who doubles as the Director General for the National Lotteries Authority (NLA) said that with his all-inclusive style of leadership, drivers will also benefit from the constituency driving scheme.

To ensure their safety, he promised to provide each person an Insurance and driving licenses to drive their crucial role in Ghana’s transport sector.

He believes that will help reduce the Okadar business in the area and also create job opportunities for Akuapem North.

He made this known when he engaged Okada riders in the constituency and outlined the policies he has for them if elected to become an MP.

Furthermore, Moses Abor, the chairman of the identifiable groups, responsible for the Well-being of the Okada riders in the Greater Accra Region, said the Okada business needed to be regularized to help the youth have peace of mind to do the work because the harassment from the Ghana Police Service is too much.

He also commended Sammi Awuku for his gesture to ensure that the unemployment issues in the area become a thing of the past something he said is likened to transformation and change of destiny.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Source//Obohnewsonline.com.

Some residents in the Suhum Constituency of the Eastern Region have called on the Member of Parliament of the area, Ɔboafo Kwadjo Asante to contest the 2024 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate.

According to the angry residents, the handwriting of Ɔboafo Kwadjo Asante in the past three and half years in terms of infrastructure projects is visible for everyone in the constituency to see, however, they cannot afford to lose him in Parliament.

Reiterating their stance, they described their MP as a development-oriented who prioritizes the well-being of his constituents first before any other thing. They indicated that on several occasions the lawmaker used his common fund to execute lots of projects in the area which has benefited the people.

Ɔboafo Kwadjo Asante was elected into Parliament in 2020 but during the party’s parliamentary primaries some months ago, the Suhum Constituency delegates refused to give him a second bid to represent them in Parliament

For this reason, the residents are making a clarion call on him to consider contesting the upcoming polls as an independent to enable him to continue his good works for the transformation agenda for Suhumman.

The resident expressed this to Kingdom FM’s KONTIHEN KOFI OBOH during a mega health organized by a group calling itself ‘Friends of Ɔboafo Kwadjo Asante’ on Sunday, July 28, 2024, where hundreds of individuals across the breadth and length of the constituency joined the exercise.

They also petitioned Ɔboafo Kwadjo Asante and gave him a 21-day ultimatum to come out and declare his intention of contesting the Suhum parliamentary seat as an independent candidate since failure to do so will compel them to exclude themselves from the December 7 polls.

The petition letter was received by Isaac Asiedu, the secretary to the MP. He acknowledged their concerns and further described the gesture as a step in the right direction.

“If the 400 delegates in Suhum have rejected him the over 76,000 eligible voters who vote in the Constituency are saying they like him because he has performed well likewise the previous MPs we have had and that’s why everybody in the Constituency is rallying behind him to go independent,” he stated.

Isaac Asiedu then urged the residents to remain calm and keep praying for Ɔboafo Kwadjo Asante as all things being equal, the MP will heed their calls and do as they wish amid retaining the seat so he can continue his good works and develop the area further.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Source// Obohnewsonline.com.

The Management of the Abuakwa North Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region has officially commissioned and handed over a newly built market for the people of Akyem Old Tafo.

The market comprises 41 sheds, 3 lockable stores, a place of convenience, a warehouse, a meat shop, revenue and environmental offices, and a corn and cassava milling machine area.

Speaking to Kingdom News after the commissioning and handing over the project to the community, the Akyem Old Tafohene, Daasebre Adusei Peasah expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the management of the assembly for the kind gesture.

He praised the Municipal Chief Executive of the Assembly, Dr. Alhaji Umar Bodinga for his timely intervention in fixing the only dying market in the area back to life to boost the local economy.

Daasebre Adusei Peasah used the opportunity and called on those who sell at their various homes and the shoulders of the road to return to the market and sell their commodities there because it is now functioning to help generate funds for the Assembly to use it for other developmental projects for the other communities that need help.

He made it clear that every Friday would be their main market day in the area because they don’t go to the farm on that particular day.

Furthermore, the MCE for the Assembly, Dr. Alhaji Umar Bodinga stated that anybody who has acquired space in the market and sold it to a 3rd party would be dealt with, and indicated that they spent a little over ¢500,000.00 to revive the market because they think about the welfare of the market women in the area.

“To prevent the thieves from entering the market at night and stealing the trader’s items after they are done with the day and go home I have fixed bulbs in and around the market to ensure the place is secured and well-protected,” he opined.

Alhaji Bodinga mentioned that the Assembly is ready to provide deep freezers for those who want to sell meats in the market to enable them to keep their meats neat because he does not want his people to consume unwholesome meat; hence adding the environmental health office to the market.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Source// Obohnewsonline.com.

The Okyenhene, Ɔsagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin has described the free Senior High School policy as the greatest achievement in the world and urged Ghanaians to uphold it.

According to Ɔkyehene, many Junior High School graduates have been denied opportunities to further their education level to Senior High School due to poverty and hardship that engulfed their parents over the past years and this has destroyed their lives.

“For this reason, when President Akufo Addo and his New Patriotic Party’s government assumed office in 2017 after winning the 2016 elections they quickly initiated a free Senior High School education policy to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor to enable them study under the same umbrella because he [President Nana Addo] don’t want to see any JHS graduate staying at home as a result of poverty,” Ɔsagyefo Ofori Panin recounted.

The overlord of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council condemned the attitude of some of the SHS matrons who smuggled the students’ foodstuffs home and sold them and later on turned themselves and criticized the government that the students don’t get food to eat in school indicating they are very wicked people.

Ɔsagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin noted that Free SHS education is a very good initiative and since its inception in 2017 over 1.6 million youth have benefited from it so far.

“Therefore woe onto those especially the matrons and teachers in the various schools who are sabotaging the policy that has given hope to the poor to realize their dreams”.

He made this assertion during the 2024 Ohum Kan festival and the same time celebrating his 25th golden jubilee anniversary on the Ofori Panin stool.

“The youth play a major of nation-building and their education must be the topmost priority of every country, that is why we must do everything possible to protect the Free SHS education policy to allow every Ghanaian child to benefit from it to give them a brighter future,” he added.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Source// Obohnewsonline.com.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Right Reverend Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye has bemoaned the ongoing indefinite strike by the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG).

The striking teachers have held onto their decision since Friday, June 14, 2024, across all 46 Public Colleges of Education in the country.

“We were compelled to force our members to go on strike due to the failure of our Employer to comply with the National Labor Commission’s (NLC) decisions and orders given by the compulsory Arbitration Awards agreed by the parties,” according to CETAG.

The agreement includes an order for the payment of one month’s salary to each entitled member of CETAG as compensation for additional performed duties in 2022 among other incentives.

Reacting to the matter, Rt. Rev. Opare Kwakye called on the government to give financial clearance to the Colleges of Education to enable them to employ much-needed administrative and teaching staff.

The Presbyterian Moderator noted that already, Colleges of Education do not meet the minimum Ghana Tertiary Education Commission recommended tutor-to-student ratio.

Rt. Rev. Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye made this assertion during the 16th Congregation of the Kibi Presbyterian College of Education where over 400 students successfully graduated from the institution.

He then appealed to the government and CETAG to have a fruitful discussion to ensure the fragile academic calendar which has not fully recovered from the effects of COVID-19 is thrown haywire again.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Source// Obohnewsonline.com.

The Parliamentary Candidate for Akuapem North Constituency in the Eastern Region, Sammi Awuku has promised to complete all stalled projects started by the outgoing Member of Parliament for the area, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei.

Addressing the elders, Chiefs, and residents of Benkum Division in the Akuapem Traditional Council, Sammi Awuku assured the Akuapem Benkumhene, Osaberima Asiedu Okoo Ababio that he will make sure to complete all the abandoned projects in the area and handed over for use.

He urged the traditional rulers not to blame Nana Ama Dokua for not being able to execute all the projects she commenced.

The Akuapem North PC who doubles as the Director General for the National Lotteries Authority added that he had started some of these projects with his resources and money.

He further indicated that an abandoned public toilet facility in Larteh has been refurbished in his name. According to him, he used his outfit as NLA Boss to lobby for another ultramodern 20-seater water closet toilet facility from the Good Cause Foundation for the people of Larteh indicating that all the aforementioned projects have been completed and handed over to the community.

Sammi Awuku made this assertion during the sod cutting of the construction of a 3-unit classroom block with the headteacher’s office for Larteh M/A Junior High School.

He also highlighted the absence of a JHS education in Larteh which has increased school dropout in the area since the pupils have to walk a long distance to the nearby communities before they can have access to JHS after completing the basic level of education.

He said the Akuapem Benkumhene has had several dialogues with him to get them JHS education hence breaking grounds for the project to help reduce the school dropout in the area.

For his part, the Akuapem Benkumhene who doubles as the Lartehhene, Osaberima Asiedu Okoo Ababio mentioned he was glad to hear Samuel Awuku went unopposed in Akuapem North constituency because he knew what he is capable of.

He stated that all the MPs the Akuapem North had previously denied the people of Larteh developmental projects and thus are very grateful to Sammi Awuku for his kind gesture.

Osaberima Okoo Ababio indicated that the Benkumhene Division which starts from Obosomase to Adweso will use their larger populace to vote massively for Sammi Awuku to become the next Member of Parliament for the area because they deemed him as he’s the only one who can rewrite the story of the constituency.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Source// Obohnewsonline.com.

The Omanhene of Akwamu Traditional Area in the Eastern Region, Odeneho Kawfo Akoto III has bemoaned how successive governments have denied them their fair share of the national cake.

According to him, Ghana’s history cannot be written without the inclusion of Akwamu because they have been part and parcel of Ghana’s history before and after independence.

“My grandfather, Kwafo Akoto II, the then Omanhene of Akwamu played a vital role in the fight for Ghana’s independence and he became the defacto Vice President of Ghana, with the absence of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President, he [Kwafo Akoto II] acted as President of the country on his behalf.”

Odenefo Kwafo Akoto III emphatically stated that looking at the sacrifice and contributions they have made towards the growth and development of the country, apart from the Nkrumah’s government who promised them a juicy deal but unfortunately following his overthrow successive governments had disappointed them in terms of the developmental projects.

“We deserved better treatment from the government, by this time Akwamuman should have been developed because my grandfather Kwafo Akoto II during his time as the defacto Vice President of Ghana released a vast land to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah for the Akosombo Dam project which supplies electricity to the country and beyond and generate foreign income to the nation,” he said.

Odene Akoto III said that today if you go to the Volta River Authority (VRA) the residents from Akwamu who are working over there are very few and that is very sad.

The Akwamu Omanhene revealed this when the Eastern Regional NPP executives led by the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Bryan Acheampong paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Akwamu to officially inform him that they had come to his land to have an engagement with their party members ahead of the 2024 general elections.

Odene Kwafo Akoto III then appealed to President Akufo Addo to do something about their plight, especially the VRA denying the youth of the area job opportunities stating that it is very worrying because they cannot be maltreated on their own backyard.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.

Source//Obohnewsonline.com.

The Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa South Constituency in the Eastern Region on the ticket of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kofi Okyere Agyekum has assured the party’s leadership of supporting the 2024 Parliamentary Candidate of the area, Duke Ofori-Atta.

He reaffirms his stance to help retain the parliamentary seat for the party in the upcoming 2024 election.

Arafat as he popularly called noted that, Duke Ofori-Atta was the right person to succeed him and continued his good work to develop Fanteakwa South.

Kofi Okyere Agyekum added that the Fanteakwa South Parliamentary seat is dear to NPP and that they can not afford to lose it to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), therefore, he will join Ofori-Atta on his campaign trip to amass more votes for him to win the seat for their party.

Arafat debunked the claim that some people are speculating that he is not on good terms with the parliamentary candidate after losing the parliamentary bid to him in their primaries.

The Fanteakwa South MP revealed that should he hold a grudge against the PC, he wouldn’t have been attending programs with him and marketing him to the constituents to vote for him to become the next member of parliament for the constituency.

Kofi Okyere Agyekum made this known during the sod cutting of the construction of a 6-unit classroom block with the headteacher’s office and 6 water closet facilities for the Hemang D/A Primary School.

Okyere Agyekum then advised colleagues outgoing MPs to emulate him and support the elected parliamentary candidates to retain the seat for the party to enable them to break the eight and continue the development of the country.

Source// Obohnewsonline.com.

By// Kontihen Kofi Oboh.