If we will be sincere as a people, we will acknowledge that the level of infrastructure development under President John Dramani Mahama in less than four years has been matchless.
Some of these are not only essential life-changing projects but are projects that have never happened or existed in the history of our beloved nation. I have already dealt with some of these projects in my previous write-ups, and this is going to be the concluding edition of the series.
Ghana has only two main harbours. The first is the Takoradi Harbour, which was built in 1928. 30 years later, the second harbour, Tema was also built. After many decades, history was going to be made. Work on the Atuabo Free Port (AFP) in the Western Region began and was supposed to be completed in 2017 when he left office.
The harbour has a land size of 2,000 acres, and it is an optimum ultra-modern facility for offshore and gas activities in Ghana and countries in the Gulf of Guinea.
The interesting news is that the new harbour will have a rig repair and ship maintenance facility. This is the first in the history of countries on the West Coast of Africa. Currently and in the past, ships from these countries usually go to Singapore, Malaysia or Japan for maintenance.
For instance, offshore rigs in Ghana that need maintenance have to be taken to Las Palmas in Spain or Cape Town in South Africa. Either way involves a 20-day transit journey with an estimated incredible cost of US$500,000 a day to these destinations; costing a total colossal sum of $10 million even before repair works start.
Therefore, if the Atuabo Free Port is not an important and strategic project, then I don't know what else it is. It takes a leader who thinks outside the box to conceive such an idea.
The amazing thing about President Mahama is the speed with which he does things. It took Osagyefo, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, nine years to do what he did for Ghana, but it took President Mahama less than four years to do all that he did, and on this score I foresee him breaking Nkrumah's record in infrastructure development if he is given another term.
The Hajj is the fifth and final pillar of Islam, and it is the obligation of every Muslim to undertake the pilgrimage at least once in their lives if they can afford it and are physically able.
Unfortunately, embarking on this important spiritual exercise has been fraught with untold hardship and pain over the years. Most of our Muslim brothers and sisters from the northern part of the country often got stranded in Accra trying to travel to Mecca. Sadly, some of them die in the process.
But Alhamdulillah Allahu Akbar! The good news is that President Mahama made history. Hajj Pilgrims from the three northern regions had the greatest relief of flying directly from his expanded Tamale International Airport to Madina in Saudi Arabia. The first flight took off on August 20, 2016. This is unbelievably unprecedented! Isn't it?
I am all smiles today, at least I have been able to convince one person to choose Mahama through this series.
Somebody called to tell me that he is impressed with what Mahama did during his tenure as president as revealed by my series on why he should be given a second chance and that he is going to vote for him for the first time if he is selected by the NDC as their flag-bearer.
I believe there are more unknown converts out who are also ready to choose Mahama through these articles.
It is not enough to say we love JDM. We need to push ourselves further to ensure his victory in the 2024 presidential election for him to realise his vision for our dear nation.
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Former president, John Dramani Mahama