Story: Kweku Tsen & A. Kofoya-Tetteh, Akropong

PRESIDENT John Evans Atta Mills yesterday assured Ghanaians that his government would never renege on its electoral promise of transforming the economy and ensuring qualitative improvement in the material conditions of the people.
He, therefore, asked Ghanaians to remain steadfast and calm while the government continued to put its act together in order to place the economy on an even keel to address their social concerns and problems.
Addressing the chiefs and people of the Akuapem Traditional Area at Akropong during a courtesy call on the Okuapehene, Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa III, President Mills said the government had already identified the crucial sectors of the economy which needed immediate and prompt attention, adding that the necessary measures had been instituted to remove and correct the distortions in those sectors.
The call on the Okuapehene formed part of a three-day official visit by the President to the Eastern Region, during which he is expected to spell out policies and programmes designed by the government to improve the lot of the people, as well as ascertain at first-hand the problems militating against their social advancement.
According to President Mills, the contradictions in the economy which the government inherited from the previous administration were being resolved to create the necessary conducive environment which would encourage, motivate and attract direct foreign investment into the country.
He explained that the implementation of those measures needed to be gradual to ensure that the nation derived maximum benefit and was not hoodwinked by individuals and groups of investors.
President Mills further explained that transactions which the government would undertake on behalf of the people of Ghana during his term of office would be very open and transparent, bereft of graft, nepotism and favouritism.
He said as a result of increasing population growth, the government was duty bound to expand educational facilities to offer more opportunities to every Ghanaian, since the nation needed a strong corps of skilled workers to ensure its forward march and development.
He pointed out that the government was also required to find appropriate resources to shore up the private sector to expand its capacity which, in a way, would boost productivity and also encourage the players in that sector to offer more employment opportunities to the people, especially the youth.
He thanked the people for electing the National Democratic Congress (NDC) into political office during the last general election and stressed that the government would not shirk its responsibility to address their plight.
President Mills called on the people to do away with all divisive tendencies which had the potential of polarising the country and sowing seeds of bitterness and animosity among the people.
The Okuapehene thanked President Mills for the courtesy call, stressing that the President had, during the short period of time that he had administered the affairs of the country, shown beyond every reasonable doubt that he was a man of humility and great vision.
He said the people in the area would rally behind the government to ensure that it prosecuted its development agenda intended to eradicate poverty from society and ensure the social renewal of the people.
President Mills was accompanied by the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, his deputy, Mr Baba Jamal, as well as other high-ranking government officials.
The President also addressed a durbar of the chiefs and people of the Manya and Yilo Krobo Traditional areas in Somanya.
He said the country needed a common platform for the articulation of national concerns that would address the weaknesses in the economy and solve the myriad of social problems facing the people.
He explained that the people could not afford the luxury of concentrating all their efforts and energies on issues which divided them, instead of focusing on those which would advance the national cause.
President Mills said the polarisation of the country along political lines had the detrimental effect of creating bad blood among the people and stalling unity and harmony in society.
The acting Konor of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area, Nene Tumeh, commended President Mills for the visit and implored him to provide the area with the necessary infrastructure which would open up the local economy and offer jobs to the people.