Ghana Will Soon Become Dubai Of West Africa - Veep

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Thursday said the influx of automobile manufacturing companies into the country to manufacture vehicles would soon make Ghana the Dubai of West Africa.

According to him, many countries in the sub-region would soon visit Ghana to buy affordable vehicles, which would boost the Ghanaian economy.

He re-affirmed government's resolve not to legalise commercial motorbike operations, popularly known as "Okada".

Dr Bawumia made the remarks when he paid a courtesy call on the Regent of Ashiaman, Nii Annan Ajor at his palace on Thursday, during a four-day working tour of the Greater Accra Region.

The Vice President further explained that government would rather implement the National Transport Recapitalization Scheme to lease out brand new vehicles to commercial drivers and pay it installment.

In the same vein, he said, the commercial drivers( taxi drivers) could use their old vehicles as mortgage to secure new cars.

Dr Bawumia said Ghanaians were witnessing much better governance and leadership under President Akufo-Addo's government with many flagship initiatives including; One-District, One-Factory, One -Constituency. One-Ambulance, FSHS and Planting for Food and Jobs.

The government, he said, had recruited a total of 180,000 teachers and nurses respectively across the public since 2017.

The Vice President indicated that in view of the fulfillment of about 80 per cent of the NPP 2016 electioneering campaign promises with more ongoing projects, Ghanaians could trust the NPP government with four more years to deliver more developmental projects.

Dr Bawumia outlined some policies and programmes the Akufo-Addo-led government intended to implement if given another four years.

They included; the National Transport Recapitalization Scheme, Leasing programme to enable commercial drivers own new vehicles, Tertiary Students Loan Scheme for university students to receive loans and pay it after completion of school and National Rent Allowance Scheme for workers to rent decent accommodation and later be deducted from their salaries and expand the Free Senior High School policy.

He said Ashiaman would benefit from the 111 district hospitals government intended to construct some deplorable road networks in the area and each Zongo community would get a model senior high school.

Dr Bawumia appealed to the constituents to vote massively for Alhaji Yakubu Labaran Barry, the NPP parliamentary candidate for Ashiaman constituency to snatch the seat from the opposition NDC.

Nii Annan Ajor, the Regent of Ashiaman, said Ashiaman was over populated and, therefore, asked for the expansion of the social amenities such as health facilities, classroom blocks and water system and asphalting of deplorable roads and construction of a new cemetery in the area.

The Regent said he had allocated offices to the 31 tribal heads in the area within his new palace.