Govt won’t take Ghanaians for granted - Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said his government is steadily on course to fulfil all the promises he made to Ghanaians.

The President said contrary to the propaganda by the opposition that he sweet-talked people into voting him and his government into power, he meant every single promise he made to Ghanaians.

According to the President, the actions of the government within the first 11 months of his administration were ample proof that his government would never take Ghanaians for granted.

President Akufo-Addo said this when he addressed a durbar of chiefs and people of La, Teshie, Nungua and Ogbojo as part of his tour of the Greater Accra Region.

Concerns of chiefs

At La, the traditional council lamented the government’s takeover of lands belonging to the council without any compensation.

Also, they complained that the military had forcibly taken lands that belonged to the council without going through due process.

Nii Okai Nmashie, who spoke on behalf of the people of Teshie, said the area required a landing beach to boost fishing activities of the people.

He added that the beaches were dotted with tourist attractions but Teshie had been left out even though there was much that the area was noted for in the political history of the country.

The Paramount Chief of the Nungua Traditional Area, Dr Nii Odaifio Welentsi III, admonished the President to be wary of the praise-singers around him, adding that there were still genuine Ghanaians who were supporting him with prayers for the agenda of the government to succeed.

According to Nii Welentsi III, the Nungua Traditional Area should have had a district of its own but it had been combined with Teshie to form the Krowor-Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly.

He said it was difficult for him to comprehend why the area had its own constituency and not a district and implored the President to consider granting it the status of a district.

The chiefs and people of Ogbojo, near Adentan, made a case for a hospital, saying there were health challenges that could easily be addressed if there was a hospital in the area but unfortunately, people had to travel long distances to access health care.

It was their contention that a tract of land had been made available for that purpose. He, therefore, appealed to the President to help them get a hospital.

President responds

In response to the various concerns raised, President Akufo-Addo noted that with regard to the non-payment of compensation for lands taken over by the state, he said since assuming power, he had not seen any documents to that effect.

He, therefore, directed the chiefs to provide him with the relevant documentations to enable him to make an informed decision.

With the forceful takeover of lands by the military, the President noted that the military, generally, was known for being disciplined and law-abiding and, therefore, could not readily fathom why that could be the case.