Asiedu Nketia, the Chairperson of the National Democratic Congress, has reiterated the party’s commitment to delivering more infrastructure if they secure victory in the 2024 general elections.
Emphasizing the vital role of infrastructure in fostering development, Nketia highlighted the NDC’s dedicated focus on this aspect.
He further expressed his conviction about the NPP’s anticipated defeat in the upcoming elections, citing what he deemed as a demonstration of poor governance by the current administration.
“So when we come, certainly we will continue along those lines because you cannot develop a country without a solid infrastructure base. Infrastructure itself is not a sufficient condition for development but it is a necessary condition. So let’s say, if we have limited resources, let’s fix the infrastructure. We will get to the point where the minimum infrastructure is laid, the things like attracting investors, and all other things will naturally follow.
UGMC, built under NDC
“When we were building the infrastructure, people misconstrued it to mean that everything is about infrastructure. We never said that! We said that even though infrastructure is not a sufficient condition for development, it is a necessary condition. You cannot develop without infrastructure.”
Asiedu Nketia
He emphasized that the infrastructure investment the NDC made while in office was cross-generational.
“Those are general investments and those are the things I have been talking about. The hospital, the airports, and all the things we are building. Talk about the power, the road infrastructure, and the other pieces of infrastructure we are building; those are the things that lay the foundation for any economy to take off and provide a better future for your next generation.”
Asiedu Nketia
Hint OnNDC’s Campaign Strategy
He hinted that the NDC’s campaign strategy will be laid back for the people to speak up about the NPP government’s failure.
“You [journalists] have been covering the poor road networks in this country. You have been covering the railway minister who is interested in dismantling old rails and selling those scraps. So we have decided to lay back a little and let the citizens do the talking, and testify about what is happening in the areas.
“If we had proceeded in taking the lead about talking about infrastructure last month, lack of roads, lack of things here and there, people would just push the thing into NPP-NDC. But now it is the people who are in the communities who are talking and complaining about the lack of infrastructure here and lack of infrastructure there. So the verdict is already out!”
Asiedu Nketia
He further pledged that Ghanaians will no longer witness the practice of the Government abandoning national projects midway because they are projects started by another government. He stated that the practice has been very harmful to the economy.
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According to him, the abandoning of projects has contributed to the debt overhang which the country has been unable to pay. He bemoaned the abandoning of cocoa roads in particular. He alleged that they were abandoned because “someone” was suspicious of the contract on the construction of Cocoa Road. Hence, upon the winning of the NPP, all contractors were laid off.
Mr Asiedu said that the roads that had been cleared and some were even ready for tarring, were all left to the mercy of the weather.
“They have all been washed away and now you are struggling to look for money to go and get money to pay the loan we took to fix the cocoa roads”, he questioned.
Mahama (center) with other NDC leaders at IPAC
He also explained that meetings with the National Peace Council and the NPP for the NDC to return to IPAC were very successful. However, the finalization of the process has been stalled by the Electoral Commission.
He gave assurance of the party’s readiness to resume the talks and return to IPAC.
“If the Electoral Commission reactivates the talks, we may come back”, he added.
