Jubilee House has clarified the statement President Akufo-Addo made about the people of Kwabre in the Ashanti region this week,during his tour.
According to the Director of Communications (DoC) at the Presidency, Mr. Eugene Arhin, contrary to the misinterpretation given to the statement, President Akufo-Addo did not “call the bluff,” of the people.
In an interview with the Presidential Press Corps yesterday, Mr. Eugene Arhin explained that the President indicated that his focus was to fulfil his promises, but the decision to vote is with the citizens.
“I don’t think the President was calling anybody’s bluff. The host asked him a particular question and the response the President gave was to what the host was saying. Indeed, if you look at the package of road construction that is currently going on in the Kwabre and the Manso areas, I mean, what the President stated in his response was that I don’t think anybody threatening that I will not vote for him should be something that he should be worried about.
“At the end of the day, his focus is to make sure that he delivers. Once he delivers and the road infrastructure is there and you still decide to go and vote for another party, that is your problem,” Eugene noted.
He continued, “What he did indicate in that interview was that work is ongoing in all parts of the country. There is no way we can construct all roads at the same time. It is not possible, looking at the national purse. So, if people, as per what the host was saying, will not be patient and wait for their time, that is fine, but he did not call anybody’s bluff.”
He stated that the government will soon award about 10 km of road projects in the Kwabre and Manso areas, stressing that, due to constraints on the national purse, all roads cannot be constructed at a go.
THE TOUR
In the interview, the Director of Communications gave a general assessment of the President’s tour of the Ashanti Region.
He indicated that the 4-day visit gave the President another opportunity to take a good look at what his administration has been doing since he last visited the region last year.
He was positive that the amount of work being done by the central government in the region was “massive and I believe the President has left the region with a good impression.”
The DoC cited the sod cutting for the construction of an interchange at Suame. He recalled that on his tour last year, the President promised that in the course of this year, work would begin on the Suame interchange, but did not go into detail.
However, while cutting sod for work to start, the President told the people it would be a 4-tier interchange, like that of the Pokuase interchange.
However, the various configurations associated with the Suame interchange literally make it a six-in-one-tier interchange, he added.
BOOING
Commenting on the viral video of the President’s convoy being booed in the region, Eugene Arhin indicated that the entourage were taken aback.
According to him, he and the President did not hear the booing, but it came to his attention after the tour.
Meanwhile, he stated that the President is unfazed by the situation as he is operating in a democracy.
Eugene gave a scenario that in the last elections, the NDC had about 500,000 votes, indicating they have supporters, “so we are not daunted by that at all.”
EASTERN TOUR
The President is commencing a 3-day tour of the Eastern Region from today. During the interview, Mr. Arhin stated that his boss was going to look at the work being done in the region.
He said three main areas are dominant in the President’s itinerary, namely education, roads and industry.
The President will be commissioning a number of educational infrastructure projects, inspect ongoing road projects, and commissioning some factories under the One District, One Factory initiative.
ECONOMY
Responding to a question on how the President is taking the seeming tension over hardship in the country, Mr. Arhin said President Akufo-Addo appreciates the current difficulties.
However, the President is very optimistic about a turn around in no time, considering the measures put in place.
