The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi, took centre stage at the Government's Retreat programme held at Peduase over the weekend after making a strong case for more development projects in the Ashanti Region.
The Regional Chairman received a standing ovation after addressing a political meeting held with the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamadu Bawumia and a host of government and party officials.
Chairman Wontumi was said to have spoken extensively about the inadequacy in the development of the Ashanti Region in terms of infrastructure, warning that the unfortunate situation could spell political doom for the party if not rectified.
The NPP Regional Chairman in his speech pleaded for at least the construction of 5km roads each for all the 36 constituencies outside the regional capital.
He further pointed out that residents of Greater Kumasi, particularly, will continue to cry for more infrastructural developments until key projects such as Suame, Santasi and Ahodwo Interchanges, Boankra Inland Port amongst others, are executed.
Aside from pushing for infrastructural projects for the region, Chairman Wontumi also decried what he said was a failure by successive governments to introduce policies that will allow more Ghanaians to invest in gold in the form of bonds.
"It is shameful that we pride ourselves as Gold Coast yet the majority of citizens cannot boast of an ounce of the precious mineral" Chairman Wontumi noted, adding that the time had come for the Bank of Ghana to mandate commercial banks in the country to issue bonds in the form of gold so that many Ghanaians can invest in it.
After the erudite address by Chairman Wontumi, Vice President Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia immediately instructed the Roads and Highways Minister, Hon. Amoako Atta, to push these projects for executive approval so that Parliament could pass the loan agreements before the House rise by the end of July.
Meanwhile, there are credible reports that work is expected to commence on the Boankra Inland Port project in August this year.
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