The Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, Togbe Afede XVI, has called on African leaders to focus on wealth creation and not on poverty alleviation.
He said poverty in Africa was a paradox because large tracts of fertile land were still under-utilised, in addition to the availability of enormous mineral and other resources, while majority of the people were wallowing in poverty.
He also described unemployment in Ghana as a paradox because there was so much to do, which did not warrant the current state of unemployment.
Courtesy call
Togbe Afede made the call when the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Ho yesterday.
He said the greatest obstacle to development was the nature of politics on the continent, as politicians often pursued selfish objectives against the overriding interest of the people upon assumption of political power.
Togbe Afede said politicians often obstructed efforts of genuine businessmen, citing his personal case of the Asogli power plant not having produced power in the past five months due to the lack of gas.
He said a beach front project proposed for Accra at an estimated cost of $1.5 billion remained a dream to be achieved although it had the potential of offering jobs to many unemployed youth.
Change in leadership
In his address, Nana Akufo-Addo said the present circumstances in the country required a change in national leadership.
He said the NPP would continue to work with the people of the region because the enthusiasm of the people gave him a new hope for a new relationship with them in view of the great wind of change blowing across the country.
Nana Akufo-Addo said the new wind of change would certainly lead to a true change on December 7, after which he was sure of returning to the region and the Asogli palace in a higher capacity.
Eastern corridor road
Addressing the Volta Regional House of Chiefs earlier as part of his tour of the region, Nana Akufo-Addo said the tour had revealed that the positive reports on the Eastern Corridor road were false.
He recalled that when he made a remark on the state of the roads in the Western Region, President John Mahama alluded that he was sleeping while touring the region, and that was why he was not able to see work that had been done on the roads.
The NPP flag bearer said that was why he took time to inspect the much touted project, which according to him, was found to be disappointing.
Nana Akufo-Addo told the chiefs that if elected president, he would ensure that the project was executed just like the Keta Sea Defence project.
He called on the chiefs to examine all outmoded customs that infringed on the rights of women and children so as to discontinue them.
He said the NPP manifesto had outlined the establishment of a national asset protection agenda to ensure that the phenomenon of uncompleted and unfulfilled promises was ended in national life.
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