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NDC
to launch a proactive housing project
Accra, July 10, Ghanadot/GNA – Mr. John Dramani Mahama,
National Democratic Congress (NDC) running mate for Election
2008 on Friday outlined a proactive housing revitalisation
scheme which aimed at reducing the anxiety of the lower
income earners in securing rental accommodation.
The scheme includes the passage of a rent control law that
limit the amounts of rent and the amounts that rent can be
increased in any year, build more affordable houses across
the nation.
Set up rent stabilization agencies or boards that would
enforce the laws, and serve as a centre where both tenants
and landlords can get information about their rights and
responsibilities, Mr. Mahama stated at the Youth Explosion
2008 platform organised for the political parties to outline
their policies to the Christian community.
The third edition of the “Youth Explosion 2008,” was
organized by the Word Miracle Church and was on the general
theme: "Breaking the Power of Apathy," was expected to help
the youth to show responsibility towards God, their
neighbours, their family, their friends and the entire
society.
Mr. Mahama explained that NDC Government would ensure that
rent control laws does not only concentrate on rent limits
or rent increases…,” it will deal with the landlord’s
responsibility to make repairs, lease renewals, evictions,
and special rules for groups like senior citizens.
Mr. Mahama said the NDC government, through collaboration
with the private sector and local estate developers would
design housing schemes for the middle and low income
earners.
He accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of
compounding the housing problems “as over the past seven to
eight years the NPP government have failed to increase the
housing unit, Dr Kwame Nkrumah build the Tema township and
other houses across the nation.
“This process of continuously putting up building by
government continues from the Nkrumah regime through to the
NDC regime, but unfortunately since the NPP took over the
reign of governorship it has not added any unit.
“The so called affordable houses are yet to be completed but
they have managed to put up houses for the upper class
leaving the middle and lower class to continue to suffer
hardships.”
On the party’s youth policy, the NDC Running Mate said: “Our
commitment to the youth of Ghana is based on enshrining in
their hearts and minds a culture of honest leadership and
sound moral values that will sustain them in their quest to
excel in life in all circumstances on merit and competence.
We must be their role models of excellence and integrity.”
Mr. Mahama, therefore urged the youth to strive for
excellence in every achievable endeavour by setting honest
goals based on a national sense of fair-play, virtue and
industry.
The NDC Running Mate said: “The future leaders of Ghana must
be imbued with a desire for excellence which derives in part
from a solid and robust educational system that guarantees
equal and fair opportunities for all citizens to obtain
basic and relevant educational skills that provide them with
the requisite knowledge, aptitude and attitude to contribute
as capable and competent partners in our national
development.”
“Institutions charged with the training and nurturing of the
youth and workers of our dear nation must be equipped and
staffed with the relevant educational facilities, equipment
and orientation.
“In deed, the vision of upgrading all institutions to move
our human development and training agenda to a level where
we train our human capital with the requisite skills and
know-how to achieve her development goals cannot be over-
emphasized.”
He said Professor John Evans Atta Mills Government sees
Strategic Leadership and Industrial Management Training as a
vital challenge to our dear nation for we must begin to
identify, train and groom winners and leaders for our
industrial and economic emancipation.
He said the NDC Government would invest in the youth
directly by providing them with opportunities for excellence
and achievement. To this end the tertiary institutions,
youth associations and civil societies will be directly
charged to provide quality and quantifiable results to meet
the strategic manpower needs.
“Youth team building and group dynamics strategies that
foster healthy competition will be encouraged at regional,
district and community levels to help address development
challenges of decentralized capacity building for social and
economic growth.
“Youth empowerment schemes that provide catalysts for
employment generation and the fulfilment of youth
aspirations will be researched and promoted with a view to
giving our future leaders hope and a sense of personal and
collective achievement,” he said.
Bishop Charles Agyin-Asare, Head Pastor of Word Miracle
Church and host of the programme, explaining the rationale
for the programme said a lot of the youth in Ghana were
becoming apathetic and lacking a sense of responsibility
hence the need to organize such programmes, which aimed at
shaping the youth for future leadership.
"We want to inculcate in the youth a habit that would make
them show positive attitude towards life and do away with
behaviours that do not make the society progress," he said.
Bishop Agyin-Asare expressed concern about how the youth
danced and sung profane musical lyrics on television and
radio and in-front of the elderly and how a lot of people,
the majority being the youth throw rubbish indiscriminately
on the street because of the lack of a sense of
responsibility.
Being apathetic, he explained meant an "I don't care"
attitude, which he said, made people indifferent to
situations around them and condemned such attitudes
Sharing a word of advice with the youth on the coming
elections, Bishop Agyin-Asare urged them to be reasonable
during the campaign period so that they would not be used to
cause confusion.
He urged those who had turned 18 years to make sure that
they register and voted during the election period.
He also announced that as part of the church's duty towards
inculcating a responsible behaviour in the youth, the
presidential aspirants of the NDC, NPP and CPP would be at
the forum to share their policies on the youth with the
congregation.
He noted that the programme with the political leaders would
help the youth make informed choices during the elections.
GNA
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