President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo defied a downpour to address and interact with the chiefs and people of some communities in the Ashanti Region, while on a working visit to share his vision with the citizenry.

The President, accompanied by some Ministers of State, was on a three-day working tour of the Region, which afforded him the opportunity to also inspect on-going projects.

In spite of the downpour on the third day of his visit, the President went ahead enthusiastically to meet the waiting crowd at Drobonso and Kumawu in the Sekyere Afram Plains District and Sekyere Kumawu District, respectively.

“I will not disappoint you in the delivery on my campaign promises,” he assured, stressing that development programmes implemented in the last two years of his administration were yielding positive results.

He said the various infrastructural projects and development programmes being executed in the areas of agriculture, education, health, water and sanitation, as well as youth employment initiatives were tailored to address the needs of the people.

They were in consonance with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

President Akufo-Addo cited programmes including the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’, ‘One District, One Factory’, ‘One District, One Warehouse’, ‘National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme’, ‘Water for All’, as well as the ‘Free Senior High School (SHS)’ concept, which were intended to enhance accelerated growth.

He hinted that about 1.2 million students would have benefited from the ‘Free SHS’ programme in its third year of implementation by 2020.

Information gathered by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) and confirmed by the Ministry of Education indicated that, the government is expected to spend close to about GH¢ 2.4 billion on the programme next year.

President Akufo-Addo pleaded with the people to strive to endorse his government for a second term in the 2020 General Election.

“My fellow Ghanaians, the NPP is grateful for the confidence reposed in us. I am calling on you all to retain us in the next polls to enable us finish successfully the good things the government has started,” he said.

Nana Dwamena Dwubi Siaw, the Chief of Drobonso, asked the government to work around the clock to improve security in the area.

The rampant incidence of armed robbery in the area, he said, was alarming, adding that this put fear in the people, especially those who commute the Drobonso-Kumawu road.