Mahama urges Ghanaians to be optimistic about economy

The President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has called on Ghanaians to shed the pessimism that has taken a better part of societal thinking and demonstrate optimism in the nation. He said while Ghanaians needed to count the blessings visited on the nation, "we equally must believe that we can claim the future and that the future is bright for us as a people".

He, however, noted with concern that "every day when you turn to the mass media, it is as if our country is the worst in the world".The President, who made the call at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi last Saturday when he paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, as part of his three-day working visit to the Ashanti Region, said, "If you think that your country is the worst in the world, then you will not make progress."

He said it was when the people realised that the nation was making progress that they could put in more to make the progress even faster.

 

Mr Mahama informed the Asantehene that but for the presidential election petition at the Supreme Court, he would have been in Kumasi long ago to thank him for his blessings and the support of the people of Asanteman for his victory in the 2012 elections, as well as the peaceful manner in which they had been conducted.

He said he was also in the region to inspect ongoing development projects.

 

The President said the short-term economic challenges of the country were not peculiar to Ghana but also many countries around the world.

He restated the fact that one of the factors for the economic challenges was the drop in the international market prices of cocoa and gold, Ghana's two major export commodities.

Ghana, he said, lost US$1.3 billion in expected export revenue from 2012 to date.

 

Mr Mahama admitted that some of the measures being taken by the government to revive the economy might be harsh, but expressed confidence that the results would be positive.

"A leader is meant to take courageous decisions. They may not be popular with the people but we must take those decisions to ensure that we protect the national interest," he said.

 

In spite of the challenges facing the economy, he said, development in education, electrification, health and many other areas were going on, saying currently the government was sending electricity to 900 communities in the country.

 

Mr Mahama said the Ashanti Region was receiving its fair share of development, adding that in Kumasi, for instance, 20 kilometres of roads had been completed, while he had asked the Ministry of Roads and Highways to package another 50 kilometres for rehabilitation and reconstruction.

He said the Barekese Dam had undergone expansion which had increased water production from 25 million gallons to 36 million gallons a day.

The construction of a second military hospital was also underway in Kumasi, he indicated.

Those and many others, he submitted, placed the region at the heart of the NDC government.

Furthermore, Mr Mahama said the Brazilian government had agreed to support the Ghana government to undertake the reconstruction of the Kumasi Central Market into the biggest in West Africa and expressed the hope that the project would begin soon.

 

He said it appeared "some strings" were pulling the CDB loan, which had delayed the start of work on the redevelopment of the western railway line from Takoradi to Kumasi.

He said in July this year he would go to China and hoped to iron out any outstanding matters with his host President.

 

While welcoming the President, the Manhyia Palace asked him not to buy into the negative impression created in certain quarters of the country that the people of the Ashanti Region were against his government.

Speaking on behalf of the Asantehene, the Offinsohene, Nana Wiafe Akenten III, said if for nothing, the impressive votes the President received in the region in the 2012 presidential election proved that the people were not against him.

Mr Mahama received a firm assurance from the Asantehene, through the Offinsohene, that Asanteman was solidly behind him and would support him to succeed in his efforts to advance the development of the country.

The Offinsohene said traditional rulers were above partisan politics but would continue to support the government of the day to bring improvement to the communities and into the lives of the people.

He thanked the President for reviving the Kumasi Shoe Factory.

Nana Akenten, however, appealed to the President to complete other development projects that had been left unattended to for years.

He also urged appointees of the government not to disappoint the President.