Former President John Dramani Mahama the Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has promised to invest in infrastructural and programmes that will provide jobs for the youth.
“We are going to invest in things that will provide jobs for our young people,” the Flagbearer and former President said.
Addressing women and youth groups, chiefs, farmers and students at a community engagement at Zuarungu in the Bolgatanga East District of the Upper East Region, he said if elected as President, he would continue expansion works on irrigation projects the NDC government started before it left office.
“If you remember, under the Ghana Commercial Agricultural Project, we received money to expand some irrigation projects in the country, including the Vea and Tono Dams.
“Apart from that, in the Garu area, we built from scratch a new irrigation project called the Tamde Dam. This government has not continued and finished it. Because there is another 3000 hectares that is part of that project that must be finished, so that more young people can get work to do.
“And so when we assume office, we will continue and finish that, we will expand Vea and Tono, so that more of our people can get work to do,” he told the residents of Zuarungu.
Mr Mahama noted that when the NDC government designed the Tamale International Airport, the intention was not for only passengers, but for exportation of vegetables, goods and other products from the north to Europe.
He said from Tamale to Europe was five hours than from Accra to Europe, “And so if we are growing vegetables here, we have pack houses, we pack those vegetables and take them to Tamale, put them on flights to Europe. A lot of money will come back into the northern sector of the country.
“We will build the Cargo Centre at the Tamale Airport so that all the products that we produce from here that are exportable, we will be able to pack them nicely and send them to Tamale and fly them to Europe,” Mr Mahama said.
The Flagbearer said the cotton industry would also be revived as many countries made a lot of money from cotton production, and recalled that there were three cotton factories; one in the Upper East Region, one in Tumu and the other in Tamale.
“That was the product that used to give our parents cash because they paid cash for it.
Our parents grew sorghum, millet, guinea corn, groundnuts, maize and getting to the end of the farming season, they put cotton and after they had harvested their food, the cotton grows, they pick the cotton and sell.”
He said during former President John Agyekum Kufour’s regime, under the President’s Special Initiative, the Pwalugu tomato factory was retooled and new equipment were put into the factory.
Unfortunately, he said the plan to sustain and keep the factory running did not work out, “And so we are going to revive the Pwalugu tomato factory, and we are going to involve the irrigation farmers in the Tono area to produce enough tomatoes to feed that factory, so that we can create employment for our young people here.”
Mr Mahama also told the people of Zuarungu that the Wulugu Livestock Station would be revived as a raw material base for the operation of the Zuarungu meat factory, “We will grow the cattle at Wulugu and we will transport the cattle here in Zuarungu and produce meat.”
He disclosed that “I have already discussed with some private investors who are willing to come in and take those two projects up and revive them so that our young people can get work to do.”
The Flagbearer, who later engaged traders, professional and religious bodies in a town hall meeting in the Bolgatanga Central Constituency, was accompanied by Mr James Agalga, the leader of the Minority Caucus in Parliament and Member of Parliament (MP) for the Builsa North Constituency, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, MP for the Bolgatanga East Constituency and Mr Isaac Adongo, MP for Bolgatanga Central Constituency.
The rest were Mr Cletus Apul Avoka, MP for the Zebilla Constituency, Mr Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central Constituency, Mr Edward Abambire Bawa, MP for Bongo, Dr Clement Apaak, MP for the Builsa South Constituency among other Parliamentary Candidates and former government appointees.
