HANDLING THE PRESIDENT’S PHONE 21

Man taya but how for do am. Having returned from somewhere in Ghana on a political engagement, and having gathered some information, and having the privilege of handling the President’s phone and sitting before Hon. Eric Opoku the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, and taking lessons from him, and having been more convinced of the record of the president as part of an engagement with my team, I couldn’t have been tired.

The President’s phone series for this week would contain some records from the Brong Ahafo region as was ascertained from the representative of the president in that region.

It had been challenging for many to communicate the projects and achievements of the President His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. Perhaps, many do not really understand the significance of the infrastructure development happening all over the country.

Many at times, we are made to believe the NDC has not invested much in the youth of this country. That is a blatant lie. Before coming to deal with the generality of the issue, the NDC, since its recent record, has been the only political party that had appointed youth into ministerial positions. Well, if you wish to challenge, the likes of Dr. Omane Boamah, Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwah, James Agyenim-Boateng, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, Muntala Mohammed, Haruna Iddrisu, and many others had their opportunity to serve in government at ages that some had described as too young. I want to see the list of young appointees under the NPP.

As a matter of fact, it is the NDC that had appointed the youngest District Chief Executive ever in our contemporary political dispensation. While subsequent paragraphs would deal with issues as were ascertained from Hon. Eric Opoku, the content cannot be wholly attributed to him.

It became clear that the best investment one could make in the youth of today, is to invest in their education to the university level. As a matter of fact, the record of the NPP in the educational sector pales into insignificance when placed side-by-side that of the NDC.

Aside the basic education record which is an open book, coupled with the eradication of over 1,600 schools under trees and their replacement with permanent and decent structures, the NPP had not build one, and I mean, NOT EVEN ONE senior high school was added to the national stock of secondary schools in their entire 8 years in government.

If today, Ghana can boast of 8 public universities, 5 out of the 8, can be credited to the NDC with the remaining three, credited to the Kwame Nkrumah and colonial regimes. Not even ONE to the credit of the 8 year record of the NPP. That is not all, if today Ghana can boast of 10 polytechnics, 7 can be credited to the NDC. Not ONE had the NPP nor its antecedent UP added to our national stock of universities and polytechnics.

So then, when you hear them shout about the neglect of the youth, you need to ask them what investment they had made for the education of the youth they claim to care so much about. Perhaps, they wouldn’t care, because, they can afford to fly their children out of Ghana to obtain education.

Narrowing a bit on the Brong Ahafo Region, the Regional Minister revealed that in the area of Senior High education, the NPP in its entire 8 years, absorbed 4 schools for the government of Ghana while the NDC, 11. In addition, he revealed that the NDC is building 8 new Community Senior High School in the Brong Ahafo Region alone.

In the area of Nursing Training Colleges, he revealed that the NDC had built 11 brand new Nursing Training schools in the region. Areas that these schools can be found include; Sampa, Yamfo, Goaso, Dadieso Aba and Duayaw Nkwanta.

In addition, Hon. Eric Opoku revealed that the region had never had a polyclinic ever in its life even after the end of 2008. Today, Brong Ahafo can boast of 5 brand new Polyclinics that have been completed and are operational under this administration; a remarkable and an enviable record considering the ZERO record of the NPP.

In the area of school feeding, a programme introduced by the NPP, by the time of their exit from power,88 schools had benefited from the School Feeding Programme in the region. Records as of today shows that the NDC has covered 582 schools in the region. Any wonder the figures nationally had increased from 440,000 school children in 2008 to 1.7 million school children in 2015?

He revealed that there were primary schools in the region where they had either 1, 2 or 3 teachers taking all the streams. Through conscious efforts, today, there are over 12,000 teachers teaching in schools with a total record of 41,000 teachers from the Brong Ahafo Region on Ghana Education Service (GES) payroll.

In the area of electricity, he reiterated a point I have captured in one of my articles that, under the NPP regime, it was not the case that every Ghanaian had access to electricity. Even with their abysmal record of expanding electricity i by 11% taking it from 43% to 54%, we had ‘dumsor’. Yet, the same people shout over similar challenges under a government that had taken electricity expansion from 54% in 2008 to 85% in 2015, a record only next to South Africa. He portends that there are districts in his region that have today achieved 100% electricity coverage.

The Hon. Regional Minister touched on many economic achievements under this government which I would find time to deal with in my subsequent episodes. However, I cannot end this piece without capturing two individuals my team had come in contact with in Sunyani recently; Hon. Kwesi Oppong Ababio the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Sunyani East who doubles as the NDC Parliamentary candidate for Sunyani East and Mr. Dickson Kyere Dua a Lecturer at the Sunyani Polytechnic and NDC Parliamentary candidate for Brekum West.

Upon entering Sunyani West, I kept wondering what could result in the name ‘Adwuma wura’ for the Hon. MCE until a list of projects undertaken in his municipality was handed to me. At least, I passed on solid asphalt in the town of Sunyani. He had maintained a clean Municipality devoid of filth. How he did it, I think other Mayors and MCEs must consult him. His interpersonal skills, I can classify as simply; principled.

I have not spent so much time with Studgard, hahahaha, I mean the PC for Brekum West Mr. Dickson Kyere Dua, but, I can say that his type is exactly what the NDC needs at this time. His interpersonal skills, respect for humanity, relationship with even his students and TEIN in Sunyani Poly campus as their Patron remains a class.

While on our way back to Accra, we watched how the rains had successfully foiled the staged funs being arranged for the perennial flagbearer from Kumasi to Accra, just as the Turkish coup was foiled by ordinary citizens. Hahahahaa I run enter Kantanka 4×4 of the Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur.

………..to be continued…………

ASK