President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says the Volta region had seen unprecedented road infrastructure under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

He said the government had constructed 432 kilometres of road since assuming office in January 2017.

President Akufo-Addo said these when addressing chiefs and people of the Anlo State at a durbar in Anloga to mark the 2023 Hogbetsotso festival, under the theme: “Climate Change, a Challenge to Lands below Sea Level, a Concern of the Anlo State and the Stakeholders.”

He said the roads include the completion of the dualisation of the 22km Ho main road.

He said others were the 30km Have to Kpando road, the upgrading of the Golokwati -Wli road, resealing of the 15km Asikuma junction to Ho Road, regravelling of the 30km Frankadua to Adidome road and the surfacing of the 17.8km Matse-Klave and Lume Atsiame-Avetokoe roads.

President Akufo-Addo said other roads were asphaltic overlay on 15km of town roads in Hohoe; bitumen surfacing of the 15.6km Akwetey-Adaklu-Waya feeder road and bitumen surfacing of Bume-Danyigba-Anfoega road.

He mentioned the Danyigba Town Roads, Dra-Sabadu road, and Bume-Agata road; bitumen surfacing of the 12km Yorkitikpo-Kpoviadzi-Trepe road.

President Akufo-Addo said the rest were the bitumen surfacing of the 9.7km Mafi-Adadepo, Wute/Yorkitikpo and Kpoviadzi feeder roads; bitumen surfacing of the 9.7km Liati Agbonyira-Fodome-Ahor road; and the upgrading of 2.5 km Klefe town roads.

He said work was also steadily ongoing on the 5.3km Ho By-Pass dualisation project which was 37 per cent complete, as is work on the upgrading of 8km of selected roads in Ketu South, which is 48 per cent complete.

President Akufo-Addo said construction work on the Eastern Corridor Roads had progressed in sharp contrast to what had been done at the end of 2016, which saw only 135km of the roads, representing 27 per cent in good condition.

“As at the end of 2022, 366 km, that is 74 per cent of the Corridor had improved from poor to good state. This has had a positive impact on the movement of goods and people along the corridor.”

He said government had cancelled the contracts awarded to contractors working on the Aflao to Denu to Dzodze to Ave Afiadenyigba to Ave Dakpa to Ho Road.

President Akufo-Addo said contracts of contractors on the Denu to Havedzi to Keta Road, Srogbe to Anyanui road, Agortoe Junction to Tregbui to Adutor road, Anyako to Seva road and the Weta to Metsrikasa road had also been terminated since most of the contractors failed to carry out the works.

He said the Ministry of Roads and Highways had decided to terminate the current contracts and re-package them for the award.

President Akufo-Addo said in the short term, the mobile maintenance unit of the Ghana Highway Authority would be deployed to undertake emergency maintenance of the very critical sections of the roads.

He said the government had also secured funding of 89 United States million dollars from the African Development Bank towards the construction of the 29.35 km Asutsuare Junction to Volivo road.

President Akufo-Addo said other roads to benefit included the 39.2 km Dorfor Adidome to Asikuma Junction Road, the 23.9km Asutsuare Junction to Aveyime road, and two interchanges at Dorfor Adidome and Asikuma Junction.

He said procurement processes were underway to start the roads by the first quarter of 2024.

Mr Stephen Akpabli, the Ho West Assistant Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has called on the party faithful to rally behind Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the party for victory 2024. 

He said the victory of the Vice President as the flagbearer of the party was a win for the entire NPP, so there was the need to put all differences behind and work in unity towards victory in next year’s general election. 

Mr Akpabli, speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Ho, congratulated the Vice President on his victory. 

The Assistant Secretary also thanked all and sundry who believed in the vision of Dr Bawumia. 

He said the Vice President was the best candidate to lead the NPP into victory come December 2024, and that was exactly what reflected in the votes during the primary on Saturday. 

Mr Akpabli implored the party faithful not to allow the result of the primary to bring division among them, adding that the result was the verdict of the people. 

He reminded the party faithful that the primary was just an internal election, and they should therefore accept the result and unite for the bigger work ahead. 

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed the hope that Volta Region will one day become loyal to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). 

This, he said was based on his conviction that the region, known as the stronghold of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) founded by a son of the land, the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, had roots in the NPP. 

Addressing the 61st Hogbetsotsoza durbar at Anloga on Saturday, Nana Akufo-Addo said his claim on the political roots of the people of the region were based on ideological and historical reasons and that he was determined to see a reversal of the electoral fortunes of the NPP in the region. 

“I’m convinced the NPP should be the natural home of the people of the Volta Region… In 1960, Dr J.B Danquah stood on the ticket of the United Party, the predecessor party to the NPP… In that election, Danquah won decisively here in Anlo and in Ho West even though he lost in the country. Need I say more? 

Until that day comes when the Volta Region returns home to its proper political roots, I shall continue to woo it.” 

The President was glad Togbi Sri III, the Awoamefia of Anlo acknowledged some development projects undertaken in Anlo during his tenure and promised to work towards the early completion of ongoing projects including the Anloga District Hospital under government’s ambitious Agenda 111 project. 

He said other infrastructural projects including roads the Awoamefia mentioned were important to his government assuring that those projects would receive the needed attention disclosing that his government’s record in the road sector in the region was unprecedented. 

Togbi Sri, the Awoamefia drew the President’s attention to some pressing needs in the Anlo Traditional Area which included the dredging of the Keta Lagoon, the construction of the proposed Keta Port and the Klikor, Agbozume, Anyako, Konu, Seva water supply issue. 

The others were the international highway from Aflao-Dzodze-Ave Dakpa-Ho, Denu-Keta Road, Agortoe to Tregui to Adutor Road and the stalled Agordome to Keta water expansion project saying, fixing these problems that confronted his people would bring so much relief. 

This year’s festival celebrated on the theme: Climate Change, a Challenge to Lands below Sea Level, a Concern of the Anlo State and the Stakeholders” saw the historic visit of Yaa Naa Abubakari Mahama II, the Overlord of Dagbon and his entourage in attendance and, representatives of Togbi Agokoli V, Ewefiaga from Notsie, Togo as well as chiefs from other parts of the region and the country. 

The durbar chaired by Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, former Speaker of Parliament also had in attendance members of the diplomatic corps, politicians, tourists and prominent sons and daughters of the land who included academicians.  

Participation in this year’s Voters’ Register exhibition at Dormaa Central in the Bono Region has been slow but without any challenges.  

At the Dormaa Senior High school (Dormass) Centre ‘A’ only 17 persons comprising of 14 males and three females out of 550 registered voters had verified their names by the time the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the centre.  

Mr Isaac Amoah Marfo, the Exhibition officer at the centre, explained that most of the people who registered at the centre were students, who have completed and have left for their various towns. 

He was optimistic that those who have not visited the centre to verify their names will do so in the coming days. 

Mr Marfo said apart from name checking and ensuring correct spelling of names the EC officials would tick or mark any person whose name was on the register, to indicate that they qualified or were eligible to vote in the upcoming District Assembly level elections. 

“If there is a minor correction regarding name spelling it would be effected,” he said, adding that if the fellow still insisted that he or she wanted the correction of the spelling of name to be made on the voter card, then the person will be direct to the EC’s district office for the correction,” he explained. 

Mr Marfo said an inclusion form for those who had voter’s identity cards but could not find their names in the voter’s register would be asked to fill in the form. 

Persons whose identities were challenged had the right to prove themselves cleared before officials after which their name could be entered depending on the outcome. 

The exhibition officer appealed to the public to report dead people and encourage their relatives and friends to have their names deleted from the register. 

At the Dormaas Centre ‘C’, Mr Charles Graves, the exhibition officer, stated that eight people out of 512 registered voters at the centre.  

Comprising of seven males and a female have visited the center. 

The exhibition officer advised the public to do so early to avoid any lapses since the scheduled days for the exercise were few. 

Mr Nii Quao Lawrence, the Exhibition officer at the centre ‘B’ said only five out of 550 eligible voters comprising three males and two females had so far verified their names. 

At the Saint Dominic Preparatory School, Mr Seth Broni Tagbolorh, the Exhibition officer, said nobody had been there for verification and attributed the situation to low publicity as many had not heard of the exercise. 

The Youth Wing of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called for unity among the rank and file of the Party as it strives to win a third term. 

“With everyone on board, our combined energies will surpass the power of an ‘atomic bomb’ and will spur us into victory 2024,” Mr Salam Mustapha, National Youth Organiser, said in a statement issued to congratulate Dr Mahamadu Bawumia on his election as flagbearer of the Party. 

The NPP, on Saturday, November 4, elected Vice President Dr Bawumia as its flagbearer for the 2024 General Election.  

He polled 61.47 per cent of the total valid votes cast, beating off competition from Kennedy Agyapong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central and two others – Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Francis Addai-Nimoh. 

The Youth Wing of the Party described the election of Dr Bawumia as the birth of a “new dawn” and hope for the Party and the country. 

“We are excited by his understanding of the many challenges facing the youth of this great country of ours and his vision to tackle them,” it said.  

It added that the National Youth Wing was “fully ready to help achieve these goals and aspirations for the betterment of our young generation. 

“The youth expect so much from you and the National Youth Wing knows that you are capable of delivering. We are excited to have you lead us. We are waiting to work with you and achieve success together.” 

The statement also charged all the youth of the Party to rise and stand up for the Party and the new Flagbearer to ensure the NPP realised its “break the eight” agenda.