Ashanti youth demand more projects, ministerial posts in NPP gov't

Various youth associations in the Ashanti Region have courted the president-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ensure massive infrastructural developments in the region in his second term. Ashanti Youth Association (AYA), Concerned Youth of Ashanti and Kumasi Youth Association (KUYA) are the various notable youth fronts in the Ashanti Region. They are singing with a single voice: to see massive development in the Region to upgrade the living standards of residents. Speaking on Akoma FM‘s morning show GhanAkoma on Monday, January 4, General Secretary for Kumasi Youth Association Tweneboah Kodua explained that the region has been sidelined by the NPP for quite a long time. “During the first term of the Akufo-Addo-led administration, which in 2016 benefited over 1.6 million votes, [it] couldn’t honour the region in terms of human capital appointments and physical infrastructures.” He added that one can hardly point finger at a single massive developmental project in the Region by the NPP. However, the NDC he said have been touting projects like Kejetia Market and various hospitals they began during their tenure. The youth groups have been basing their arguments on the fact that the NPP amassed over 1.7 million votes in Ashanti Region in last year’sgeneral elections, chunck votes which the NPP admits sailed them to victory. Hence the youth groups areof the view that “if indeed Ashanti Region is the bread-basket of votes for the NPP, then the votes must be translated into massive developments to show appreciation on how far the Ashanti Region has brought the NPP”, Touching on appointing human resources in the NPP’s second term, Tweneboah Kodua further explained that “almost all the ministerial appointments made from this region during the NPP’s first term were deputy ministers with the exception of Agric and other minor ministries, but in his second term we won’t take that, the NPP must focus on this region to ensure it deserves its due”. The youth further admonished the president-elect against appointing people from the Region to deputy ministerial positions. They believe in his second term, President Akufo-Addo must appoint people from the Ashanti Region into substantive ministerial positions but not what he describes as ‘driver’s mates’. By Nana Asenso Mensah|Akoma FM|editors.3news.com|Ghana