Having taken cognizance of the fact that where the Western Region leans during an election, is where political power goes, the Member of Parliament for Effia, Joseph Cudjoe has affirmed that a Bawumia and Napo administration will continue to build on the strategic development foundation the government has laid in the region to further enhance its ability to support the country’s growth.
“You will realize that, from 1992, the Western and Central Regions, and more recently Greater Accra, have played a key role in deciding which party governs this country. And for the Western Region, its role goes beyond that of a kingmaker to a critical resource provider to support the country’s economy.”
“When you are looking at your strategy in terms of economic management, it becomes essential to focus on where the resources are and to start emphasizing the development of those resources as well as the people there. Recognizing that the Western Region holds many resources—you can see mining is key, and recently the Petroleum hub, a critical growth pole, is also key, along with the upstream oil and gas development—all of these become fundamental for resource utilization to help you achieve the big things you want to do.”
For a long time, the dictum “The best comes from the West” has largely remained a saying that has not reciprocated the contributions the region continues to offer the country. The region continues to grapple with bad roads, and successive governments tend to see it only as a quarry pit.
However, Joseph Cudjoe, in an interview, insisted that the NPP government has shown considerable faith, with the region. According to him, the government has set in motion several efforts to enhance the region’s ability to “continue laying the golden eggs” while also creating an environment conducive for the people there.
“Development hinges on a certain platform, so you look at how the whole Sekondi-Takoradi is being remodeled; there is construction everywhere. You are looking at the new interchange, the Central Market Circle, improved roads, and you will realize that the twin city is truly being made twin…”
“…and the new naval base under construction at Jomoro. After this, the Western Region will host two naval bases, one in Sekondi and one in Jomoro. I urge anyone to go and have a physical look at the new one under construction, and you will be amazed at what President Akufo-Addo and Bawumia administration is doing to uplift the region. This even shows the security thinking that is being advanced, that these resources are interfacing land and sea, so we need to protection them from all angles.”
He added, “So much is going on. The Agona Nkwanta road is being dualized, the Tarkwa road is nearing completion, and most importantly, one project that has not come into the public domain is the dualized road linking Accra, Takoradi, and Elubo. You can see from Accra to Winneba the massive road construction that is going on and this is being funded by the Government of Ghana, as is being falsely peddled. Once you open this Winneba corridor towards Sekondi-Takoradi, we will see easy flow of economic activities between Greater Accra and Western Region, which in itself will spur growth in the Western Region as a whole and open up Sekondi-Takoradi – the capital city.
“Then there is the expansion of the Port of Takoradi, where the vision is to make the port a key player in trade. Our ability to export and accommodate larger vessels has greatly improved. Now, we can compete with many countries in Africa and other parts of the world, as the turnaround time is now at a record low.”
“In terms of health, Effia Nkwanta is undergoing a massive and unprecedented upgrade for it to play its regional health service delivery role effectively. Beyond that, a new regional hospital is being built, and when that comes on stream, the burden on Effia Nkwanta will be significantly lessened.”
“We see GNPC there, having inaugurated its operational head office, and that is also a signal that in the upstream oil and gas industry, we are strongly positioning the region for growth. So much is happening, and it’s up to us in the Western Region to align with this government to implement the plans it has for the region.”
He explained that the government has also not lost sight of developing the region’s human resources to enable the people to take on these changes. “You will find that many of the educational institutions are being upgraded, some forming partnerships with foreign counterparts, and several scholarship schemes, all aimed at creating a mass of people with the requisite skill sets to embrace the changes we are spearheading.”
“While doing that, we are also providing a platform for the region to see that they have to go with this government rather than the other. So much is happening in the region, and we believe that should signal to all of us here that it is the NPP that has good plans to develop the region,” he added.
