Welcome home John Mahama; the home that saw transformation under you as president.

www.padfm.com.gh / Savannah region, Ghana

Your Excellency, let me warmly welcome you home, as you visit Damongo tomorrow Friday 20th August 2021, to thank the Chiefs and people of Gonjaland for their support during the 2020 general elections. The home you so much cherish and hold dear to your heart.

You deserve a resounding welcome from all the Chiefs, sons and daughters of the land as an illustrious son. You obviously have made the kingdom proud. And every well meaning inhabitant of the land ought to be proud of your accomplishment in the land.

I recall vividly the transformation agenda you championed under your tenure as president to bring development to all sectors of the kingdom. And to give dignity to the Chiefs and peoples of the Gonja kingdom.

Acutely aware that Education is the surest means of emancipating your people out of the stranglehold of poverty,Your Excellency led the most ambitious transformation agenda the Gonja Kingdom has ever witnessed to make Education accessible to all. In Damongo alone,I recall that you built the following schools:Jafo JHS block B,Yabum JHS block B,Jakpa JHS block B,Presby JHS block B. You built two sets of 6-unit classroom blocks for Jafo Primary School, A school complex at Kpiri, A Girls’ Model School,Canteen JHS B,Canteen Primary B.
You built fully furnished schools for the following communities; Soalepe,Bonyanto,Achubunyor, Jonokponto, Busunu,Sumpini,Kojope,Bidima,Langatere,Larabanga,Kananto, and Kabampe. Constructed a Boys’ Dormitory complex,a Girls’ Dormitory complex, and a Dining Hall complex for NDESCO.
You constructed new community day SHSs for Bamboi,Daboya and Mpaha.
You constructed lecture halls,Dormitory complexes and a fully furnished library complex for the Damongo Health Assistants Training College.

Acutely aware that,quality education can only be achieved through a highly motivated teacher,I recall that you provided the following incentives to motivate them to deliver their best:

1. Expanded access to the Colleges of Education to train more teachers.
2. Posted newly trained teachers automatically
3. Promoted deserving teachers automatically
4. Paid Responsibility Allowances religiously
5. Built well furnished teachers’ accommodations at Bonyanto,Achubunyor, Jonokponto, Busunu,Kojope,Bidima,Langatere, Kananto, and Kabampe.
6. Built well furnished staff bungalows for Damongo HATS..
7. Introduced a 10% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to cushion public sector workers.
8. Increased the base pay of public sector workers by 12.5%. The highest ever since Atta Mills of blessed memory.

Health they say is Wealth. So Your Excellency, championed the massive expansion of healthcare infrastructure ever witnessed in the history of Gonjaland. The following are but just a few of the health care infrastructure you provided your people in Damongo alone:

1. A new OPD center at the West Gonja Hospital
2. An ultra modern medical laboratory at the West Gonja Hospital
3. An ultra modern Accident and Emergency center at the West Gonja Hospital
4. A female ward complex for the West Gonja Hospital
5. A male ward complex for the West Gonja Hospital
6. An ultra modern Surgical ward for the West Gonja Hospital.
7. Secured two Land Cruiser Ambulances for the West Gonja Hospital.
8. Constructed clinics in the following communities: Hangaline,Zongo,Mempeasem, Larabanga,Kabampe,Langatere, Bidima,Grupe,Kojope and Yipala.
9. Started the construction of the Sawla hospital,the Buipe Accident center and the Bamboi Polyclinic.

You envisioned a proper network of motorable and decent roads,as a catalyst to spur economic activity within Gonjaland. So you undertook the following road constructions:

1. The Fufulso-Damongo-Sawla road which was hitherto a death row and has claimed the lives of many illustrious sons and daughters of the land got constructed by you. The singular construction of the road changed the face of the kingdom,brought dignity to its inhabitants, boosted economic activity within the kingdom. Never in the history of the Gonja kingdom have we witnessed a transformation equal to the construction of the Fufulso-Damongo-Sawla Road. You constructed it out of love for your kingdom. So that your people will have improved conditions of transport your Excellency.
2. You started the construction of the Busunu- Daboya Road. Alas,that road has been abandoned by Nana Addo to the cost of the Kingdom.
3. The construction of the Mpaha Junction to Mpaha Road.
4. Construction of the Salaga road and many more.

In the area of Electricity. You led a massive expansion of electricity to cover several communities within Gonjaland. In Damongo alone,the following communities benefitted from the expansion of electricity: Achubunyor, Jonokponto, Mempeasem, Kojope,Bidima,Langatere, Sumpini,Tailorpe,Yipala,Nabore,Kananto,Kabame,Grupe, Mognore, Murugu,Soalepe and Bonyanto.

On access to portable water for your people, you provided the following communities with Community Water Systems: Soalepe, Bonyanto,Achubunyor, Jonokponto, Mempeasem,Tailorpe,Busunu,Bidima,Langatere, Sumpini,Kojope,Larabanga,Mole,Kananto,Kabampe,Grupe,Murugu and Mognore.

A people’s identity and heritage remains under the custody of its Chiefs and traditional authority. Acutely aware of this,I recall how you set out to give dignity and honour to the Gonja Traditional Authority. Your dogged determination to ensure that our King and chiefs were resourced to earn Reverence, and Admiration in the comity of Traditional rulers is one that cannot escape a grateful heart. And rightly so because the recent history of our Kings and Chiefs has been one of despondency and abject inadequacy. For once upon a time, the King and overlord of the Gonja kingdom boarded public busses to attend House of Chiefs’ meetings outside the kingdom. I have witnessed the spectre where an old and feeble King of the kingdom was once carried to board the then OSA bus to travel to Tamale. Such was the level of ignominy our Kings and Chiefs lived under.Your Excellency, I recall albeit with regret how you personally provided decent means of transportation for your King to give him the Dignity and Reverence he deserves. I recall how you provided decent vehicles to Paramount and Divisional Chiefs within the kingdom. I am aware you even had plans to build a “state of the art” of clinic at the palace of the king in Damongo,with a well equipped Ambulance to attend personally to the king and chiefs of the kingdom. Your Excellency, you served your people well and truly… But your people served you up to the “Enemy”. For the very Chiefs in the kingdom you extended a hand to betrayed you for a pittance. Like Lazarus they sold you,their own son out for the enemy to devour…Your own brethren and Chiefs led the “enemy”to the grave of Ndewura Jakpa under the cover of darkness to perform rituals against your victory. Your own brethren and chiefs led the “enemy” to the grave of your late mother in Busunu under the cover of darkness to perform rituals against your victory. For every fervent admirer,there is a fierce critic and opponent. Sadly,your loudest and fierce critics were from your own “house”- the Gonja kingdom. They plotted and led every campaign against your re-election and succeeded at their plot.

Your Excellency, you were not without shortcomings during your tenure as president. Which is partly why you painfully lost the 2016 and 2020 elections. Your refusal to appoint any member of Parliament from Gonjaland a minister or deputy minister was a grave tactical error of judgement. The MPs play an important role in consolidating the grassroot at the Constituency for the ultimate benefit of the presidential aspirant. That tactical error on your part rendered them financially incapacitated to protect the Constituencies for your victory in the 2020 general elections. Damongo would have been retained for you if the venerable Hon. Adam Mutawakilu had any empowerment from you.

Your Excellency, some of your former appointees whom you trusted to help parliamentary candidates win their seats proved otherwise. They were an anathema to the victory we so much clamored. Which is why you must beware.

But I have no doubt that given a second chance,you’ll right the wrongs.

Welcome Home, once again.. Your Excellency John Dramani Mahama.

WELCOME HOME JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA;THE HOME THAT SAW TRANSFORMATION UNDER YOU AS PRESIDENT.

AMIDU ABDALLAH
(0240862470)

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