HOLD GOVT IN CHECK - PREZ (FRONT PAGE)

Story: Kweku Tsen & Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sefwi
The President Professor John Evans Atta Mills has called on electorates to constantly draw the attention of the government to its weaknesses and shortcomings in the management of the country.
He said “nobody will be assaulted, mistreated or prosecuted for subjecting our policies and programmes to criticism since it is your civic right to comment and issues that affects the administration of the country.”
Addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of Sewfi Ownase today on day two of his tour of Western and Brong-Ahafo regions, President Mills said human beings were prone to mistakes. Therefore, the masses, who elected the government into office must always be permitted to express their opinions about the way the country is been governed.
With the information that the president was passing through to the Sefwi areas, some communities along the road had to stop him to address them before getting to his final destination.
The President stopped in many towns and villages, including Beopso, Ayanfori and others to address groups of people, who had gathered that early welcome the president to the region and to wish him well.
According to Professor Mills, the government would always welcome public criticism in good faith to ensure that its policies and programmes impacted positively on the living conditions of the people.
He said in order to sustain public confidence in government; his administration would always consider the views and opinions of Ghanaians in the formulation of national policies and programmes.
Professor Mills told the gathering that, government would always focus on issues which would unit the country and ensure its forward match.
“We will not behave as political ostriches and remain oblivious of the real and genuine concerns of the broad masses of the people we will do everything possible to ensure that economic relieve came to the people,” he said.
President Mills noted that the country needs peace now more than ever to consolidate the gains of the country’s democratic process which began in 1992.
He explained that, the commitment to chart the path of democracy remained unshakable, stressing that “Democracy has brought recognition and acceptance to Ghana among the community of nations.”
President Mills told the gathering about the adverse economic plight of the country upon his assumption of office and assured the people that government had taken the appropriate steps to reverse the decline of the economy in order to improve the quality of life for the people.
He noted that he government was aware of the high expectation of the people and remarked that everything was being done to ensure that the region and the country as a whole was provided with adequate resources to improve the condition of the people.
The President commended electorates for voting massively for NDC in the last general election and said their efforts would be rewarded by the government through the provision of social and economic infrastructure which would also provide job for the people especially the youth.