Mr Gabriel Adovoe Kwami Gah-Atorkple, a businessperson who has filed to contest for the position of the Council of Elders in President Mahama’s new administration from the Volta Region, has promised to prioritise the progress and development of the region if given the nod.
He would contest with 12 other candidates, which include Dr Wuaku David Kofi, Togbui Adamah lll, Togbui Akamu V and others from the Region.
Mr Atorkple, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, during a campaign tour at Keta, emphasised that development of Volta Region through job creation, among others would be his topmost priority to alleviate the plight of the citizens in the area.
“My key responsibility will be to play advisory role as a member of the council and provide the needed ideas to identify and address community needs to foster development and growth,” he said.
He said that the Volta region possessed 60 per cent of natural resources which include lithium, limestone, timber, oil among other and needed a visionary leader who can provided the necessary ideas to the utilisation of such resources for the benefit of the country and the region.
He said that the Volta region needed a Council of Elders who would collaborate with the cooperate organisations, individual businesses, philanthropists among others that could manage and use the natural resources to the benefit of the people.
“If am given the nod as a member of President Mahama’s Council of Elders, l will make sure we preserve the rich culture and traditional values, customs and practices, to ensure that our cultural heritage of Volta and Ghana is passed down to the next future generations.”
Mr Atorkple promised to provide strategic guidance on issues affecting the communities such as the tidal wave distractions along the coast, unemployment, infrastructure development, as well as other areas which include education, healthcare, and economic development.
He also pledged to provide all the necessary ideas that would help resolve the numerous chieftaincy conflicts and disputes within communities in the region and promote peaceful coexistence and reconciliation through dialogue and negotiations.
He debunked the speculation that the Council of Elders position was for only elderly persons and chiefs and described new Mahama’s administration as youth participating one which welcome and gave priority and position to the young ones for development projects to be initiated.
Mr Atorkple said that it was imperative for every good government to look for the youth to be added to the elderly ones to take policies in decision making that would benefit every citizen regardless of their age or religious affiliation.
He urged delegates to rally behind him and vote massively for him to represent Volta in the Council of Elders for development and progress of the area.
