NPP Gov’t will bring Progress, Prosperity to Ghana – Nana Addo

President Nana Akufo-Addo has reaffirmed the commitment of his government to bring progress and prosperity to all parts of the country, in a balanced and inclusive manner. Speaking at Ada, at the Asafotufiami Festival, on Saturday he reiterated his belief that a prosperous, confident nation can be built through the effective exploitation of the country’s human and natural resources.

In furtherance of this, the President said since he took over, his government has worked hard to ensure a stable macroeconomy.

“I know we are not out of the woods yet, but I can assure you that our nation is on the right path,” he said.

Mobilising the nation’s resources, he said, has meant the commencement of the rolling out of flagship policy initiatives such as the “One-District, One Factory” project, and the programme for “Planting for Food and Jobs”.

President Akufo-Addo assured the Chiefs and people of Ada that government is in the process of securing the necessary investment for the development of a modern salt industry, stressing that the Songhor Lagoon has the potential to produce salt in large-scale and commercial quantities, from its current status.

On the implementation of the Free SHS policy, the President stated that it provided 90,000 more children, in 2017, with the opportunity to gain access to senior high school education in 2017.

“We are, first of all, going to recruit over 8,000 more teachers in 2018 than we did in 2017. Secondly, we are going to employ a double track school calendar system for the new SHS entrants.

President Akufo-Addo reiterated that the double-track system is not going to be applied to all Senior High Schools (SHS). According to him, it will only apply to SHS whose current capacity will be exceeded by the numbers of admitted students

He assured that that Double-Intake system will not destroy the country’s education, as some people would want the Ghanaian people to believe.

“On the contrary, this system will reduce class sizes, it will increase the contact hours between teachers and students, as well as increase the number of holidays. Every bold, new initiative that is rolled-out will, perforce, experience hitches and challenges,” he said.

With 180,000 more children, representing a 31% increase, expected to be admitted into the SHS, the President stated that government is employing the Double-Intake System to address the deficit so as to ensure that “no qualified Ghanaian child is left behind.”

“First of all, we are going to recruit over 8,000 more teachers in 2018 than we did in 2017. Secondly, we are going to employ a double track school calendar system for the new SHS entrants,” he said.

With the Asafotufiami festival held to mark the period of harvest, the President encouraged as many farmers as possible in Ada to join the programme for Planting for Food and Jobs, which is expected to cover one million farmers by 2020.

On addressing the country’s infrastructural deficit, he said, “we are hopeful that, with solid private sector participation, we can develop a modern railway network with strong production centre linkages and with the potential to connect us to our neighbours,”.

President Akufo-Addo appealed for unity amongst the people of Ada and urged them to act in unity as one people collectively to lift up the fortunes of Ada.

“The primary task is yours, and I assure you that government will stand in full support with you so we deliver progress and prosperity to all our people,” the President added.