THE flag bearer of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Dr Edward Mahama, has said when voted into power, his government will partner traditional rulers in all aspects for the development of the communities.
That, he said, had become necessary, since traditional rulers were endowed with the requisite knowledge to be tapped for the development of the communities to improve the living condition of the people.
The PNC flag bearer made the statement when he paid a courtesy call on Osabarima Awua Kotoko II, the Begorohene and Benkumhene of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area, at his palace on Monday.
During the call, Dr Mahama introduced Mr William Nkansah, the party’s parliamentary aspirant for the area, to the gathering.
Dr Mahama, who was on a campaign tour of the Eastern Region, was accompanied by the General Secretary of the party, Mr Bernard Mornah; the National Women’s Organiser, Hajia Hajara Boya; the Publicity Chairman, Mr Henry Asante, and the Eastern Regional Vice-Chairman,, Mr Godwin Tay.
According to Dr Mahama, although chiefs were good statesmen who assisted the colonial administrators to govern the country, successive governments after independence relegated them to the background and that had imparted negatively on the development of the communities.
What had worsened the situation, he stated, was the inability of successive governments to offer the necessary assistance to chiefs in the form of logistics.
He, therefore, gave the assurance that he would reverse the situation when voted into power and called on the chiefs and the people for their support.
“A PNC government will partner chiefs, give them the necessary assistance, especially means of transport, to undertake activities to improve the lot of the people,” he said.
On education, Dr Mahama stated that although the government had implemented the School Feeding Programme and free transport for schoolchildren, only a limited number of schoolchildren were currently benefiting, leaving out majority of them, especially those in the rural areas where poverty was the order of the day.
Dr Mahama, who indicated that his administration would make it possible for all schoolchildren of poor parentage to be covered by the School Feeding Programme and free transportation and also improve the Capitation Grant, gave the assurance that a public university would be put up in the region to make tertiary education accessible to students in the area.
He also promised to improve farming by promoting the cultivation of food crops such as cassava, yam, plantain and maize, in addition to cocoa and other cash crops.
For his part, Osabarima Awua Kotoko advised the PNC leader to conduct his campaign peacefully and wished him well.
Mr Mornah, who addressed the people shortly before the PNC leader called on Osabarima Awua Kotoko, condemned the NPP administration for selling viable state assets and called on the people to rally behind the PNC to win the election to reverse that trend.
Hajia Hajara Boya also called on the women to support the PNC, which she said had a lot of initiatives to be implemented to improve their lot.
The PNC flag bearer had earlier in the day paid a courtesy call on the Krontihene of Kwabeng, Baffuor Twum Ampofo, to solicit the support of the chiefs and people of Kwabeng and also addressed a gathering at New Tafo.
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