Jomoro (W/R), Aug. 8, GNA - Government would soon establish a fertilizer plant at Jomoro, in the Western Region, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has disclosed.
The proposed plant is a collaboration between government and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), as well as the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC), and a fulfillment of the President’s vow to site a factory in each district of the country.
The move feeds into a manifesto pledge of the New Patriotic Party to leverage on Ghana’s petroleum resources to produce fertilizers locally for the agricultural sector.
President Akufo-Addo made the disclosure when he interacted with the chiefs and people of Half Assini, in Jomoro, on the second day of his three-day tour of the Western Region.
With Jomoro set to be upgraded from a district to a municipality in September, President Akufo-Addo noted that the inability of the Assembly to approve a District Chief Executive (DCE) on three separate occasions may hamper development.
“I am appealing to you. Help me by approving the new nominee I am proposing as DCE for Jomoro. I can assure you that this nominee is resourceful, hardworking and can do the job.”
President Akufo-Addo gave the assurance that his government would manage prudently Ghana’s oil revenues, resolving to ensure that oil proceeds do not find their way into the pockets of a few persons, but go towards the development of the country’s education.
It is for this reason that a flagship programme of his government, the Free SHS policy, would commence in September, which would ensure that parents no longer bear the financial burden of taking their children to senior high school.
“I have been bastardised by several persons who claim the Free SHS policy is a misplaced priority, a lie, and cannot be done. The Free SHS policy, I wish to assure them, will start from September. The first students in the history of our country who are going to benefit from the Free SHS will be doing so as from September this year,” he said.
Touching on the dwindling fortunes of the cocoa sector, President Akufo-Addo noted that the policies and programmes instituted by former President John Agyekum Kufuor ensured that the cocoa production hit one million tonnes in 2010/2011.
However, cocoa production has since declined, with the 2015/2016 crop season recording a production of 778,000 metric tonnes.
“My government is going to increase cocoa production again to one million tonnes, and move it to 1.5 million tonnes in the course of my mandate. We will also ensure that cocoa farmers gain their pride of place in our society. We will make the cultivation of cocoa a source of gainful employment once again,” he said.
With his government having been saddled with huge debts, President Akufo-Addo told the Chiefs and people of Jomoro that he remained unfazed and would put in place the necessary measures to ensure improvement of the living conditions of the people, which included the construction of the town roads at Elubo and Half Assini.
Later in the day, President Akufo-Addo visited the Atuabo Gas Plant to familiarise himself with the operations of the company.
GNA
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS