Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, the Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, has said the NDC government cannot prioritise the completion of abandoned Agenda 111 hospital projects over the construction of 24-hour markets.
According to the Labour Minister, the government must balance the completion of inherited projects with the implementation of programmes it promised Ghanaians.
He argued that Agenda 111 was abandoned due to inadequate attention, illegal practices and corruption under the previous Akufo-Addo administration.
The Labour Minister questioned why the current administration is being criticised for not completing Agenda 111 projects within 15 months when the NPP, for 8 years, failed to complete the Afari Military Hospital.
Speaking to Citi News, he stated, “They came for eight years. They didn’t finish it. Within 15 months, they are saying, ‘Why is government not finishing our hospital?’ Isn’t it funny for anybody to be saying that? It is not strange that they can be blaming the NDC for what they failed to do”.
Meanwhile, President John Mahama has announced that his government has allocated funds to complete 35 Agenda 111 hospital projects initiated by the Akufo-Addo administration.
According to John Mahama, the 35 projects are about 70% complete and will be prioritised for completion.
Speaking during his ongoing tour of the Upper East Region, President Mahama stated, “We are continuing the Agenda 111 hospitals. This year, we have selected 35 of them, 35 of them that have reached 70% completion and above. We have selected them across the country; we have allocations, and funds are available to finish the 35”.
“Next year, we are selecting another 200 that are 50% and above. But we are giving priority to districts that do not have health facilities, and so we are not abandoning the Agenda 111 Hospitals; we are going to continue and finish them,” he noted.
“In 2028, we will award another 20 for completion,” he added.
President Mahama noted that allowing the Agenda 111 hospitals to remain incomplete would amount to a waste of taxpayers’ money given the level of investment already made in the projects.
According to John Mahama, completing the hospitals would ensure that the resources committed to the Agenda 111 initiative yield their intended benefits for Ghanaians.
Mahama’s comments follow a similar commitment by Asiedu Nketia, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who has assured Ghanaians that the Akufo-Addo government administration’s Agenda 111 projects will not be left to rot.
According to Asiedu Nketia, projects started by the erstwhile Akufo-Addo Bawumia administration will not be abandoned to rot when they were paid for by taxpayers.
Asiedu Nketia is stated to have said, “Any project started by any previous administration was funded from the taxpayers’ money. And taxpayers don’t change”.
“If we say that we are not going to complete this project because it was started by someone, then we are not helping the country.”
The NDC Chairman highlighted, specifically mentioning the Agenda 111 district hospitals that were started but not completed under the NPP.
He asserted that all Agenda 111 hospitals capable of being completed would be made operational by the John Mahama-led government.
@ghnow_ Community Police with “Asabone” dance at the National Youth Forum #GHnow #Fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Ghanaian singer Kelvyn Boy takes the stage with an energetic performance at the ongoing National Youth Forum at the UPSA Auditorium. 🎶🔥 #GHnow #Fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
