President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday assured the chiefs and people of the Bono Region that the Sunyani Airport will be reopened by the end of this year following the ongoing rehabilitation works on the facility.
The President gave the assurance in Sunyani during his meeting with chiefs in the Bono Region at the start of his a two-day working visit to the region.
The President noted that the reopening of the Sunyani Airport will go a long way to facilitate movement of people between the region and the rest of the country.
More than GH¢48m is being spent on the rehabilitation of the Sunyani Airport.
Under the rehabilitation programme, the runway would be given a facelift, while the main terminal would be partitioned with some offices to be relocated.
Responding to a request by the chiefs, President Akufo-Addo gave the assurance that the Finance Ministry would soon make funds available to the Bono Regional House of Chiefs to facilitate the adjudication of the various chieftaincy disputes bedeviling the House as well as carry out effective research activities.
The President said the Attorney-General had reached advanced stages of the Legislative Instruments (L.Is) for the establishment of regional houses of chiefs in all areas affected by the creation of the new regions, adding that the L.Is would soon be laid before parliament.
The Minister of Road and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta stated that government would do everything possible to ensure that there was value for money in all road projects, adding that “the days of shoddy road construction works are over.”
He announced that 10 kilometres of Sunyani town roads would be asphalted by the end of March next year while several roads in the region have been awarded on contract.
They include Berekum-Drobo, Berekum-Nsawkaw, Sampa town roads, Dormaa Ahenkro town roads as well as Wenchi town roads.
Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, for his part, said the proposed Tree Crop Development Authority would go a long way to boost the production of cashew, rubber and oil palm, among others.
President Akufo-Addo and his entourage also spent some time with students of the Sunyani Senior High School (SUSEC) and St. James Seminary and Senior High School at SUSEC.
Addressing the students and staff of the two schools, President Akufo-Addo entreated the students to justify the huge investments being made in them by being studious and discipline.
He asked them to study hard to become “well rounded citizens” in future.
President Akufo-Addo later inspected work on the Sunyani-New Dormaa-Yawhima road project and the rehabilitation works currently underway at the Sunyani Airport.
FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH, SUNYANI
