THE flag bearer of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Mr Emmanuel Ansah-Antwi, has pledged that if given the mandate in the 2008 elections by the electorate to form the next government, the party will give special attention to agriculture.
He said local farmers would be provided with the needed incentives to improve food production and food security in the country, thereby increasing their income levels to reduce poverty.
According to him, the DFP government, under his administration, would not only pay special attention to the production of cocoa, but also to other traditional food and cash crops in the country for local consumption and export.
Mr Ansah-Antwi made the pledge on Wednesday, when he called on the Techiman and Wenchi Traditional Councils, as well as on the Chief Imams and Zongo chiefs in the two traditional areas, as part of his four-day tour of the Brong Ahafo Region.
He promised to set up processing factories to cut the annual glut of food items experienced by farmers in the country.
The policy direction on agriculture by the party, Mr Ansah-Antwi said, would help put the country on the path of industrialisation as local industries would be fed with the required raw materials, which would lead to the creation of jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the country.
The DFP flag bearer was accompanied on the tour by Dr Obed Asamoah, the Founder of the party; Mr Bede Ziedeng, the General Secretary; Mr Piesie Anto, the National Organiser; Madam Franklina Asamoah, the National Women Organiser; Madam Frances Asiam, the National Vice-Chairperson, as well as some regional executives of the party.
Speaking at separate courtesy calls in Techiman and Wenchi, Mr Ansah-Antwi stated that, since about 70 per cent of the country’s population was engaged in agriculture as a source of livelihood, the DFP would embark on what he termed “agricultural revolution or the green revolution” to enhance agriculture and improve the income levels of farmers.
He further stated that a DFP government would modernise agriculture, provide subsidies and agricultural inputs as well as grant loans to farmers.
According to Mr Ansah-Antwi, his government would embark on small-scale irrigation projects to ensure all-year-round farming in the country.
The DFP flag bearer said his government would work towards the provision of basic necessities of life, such as adequate food, housing, clothing, water, health care, quality education, roads, energy and telecommunications.
Mr Ansah-Antwi stated that a DFP government would review the trade liberalisation policies of the NPP and NDC governments, which he said, had hampered the growth of local industries.
He, therefore, urged the electorate to vote massively for the DFP to enable it to implement those laudable programmes aimed at improving the living standards of the ordinary Ghanaian as well as putting the nation on the path of industrialisation.
Dr Asamoah, for his part, said the party had been set up to introduce civility into the body politic of the country, stressing that the party would not use insults, vilification, intimidation and violence to achieve political ends in the country.
He bemoaned the growing personality attacks and vilification between the NPP and NDC ‘serial callers’ on the airwaves, which if not checked, could disturb the peace and stability of the nation.
Dr Asamoah stressed that the DFP abhorred untoward acts and would, therefore, focus on issues in its campaigns, devoid of insults, abuse, pettiness, violent threats and political vendetta.
For their part, the Krontihene of the Techiman Traditional Area, Nana Opoku Abankwa, and the Okomahene of Wenchi, who represented their various traditional councils, called for decorum among the supporters of the various political parties during, before and after the general election.
The DFP flag bearer and his team later opened the Wenchi and Techiman Constituency offices of the party and introduced the party’s parliamentary candidate for Wenchi, Mr Thompson Akotia, a retired educationist to the electorate.
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