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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Asunafo South, Eric Opoku, has stated that the next NDC government will establish cocoa clinics in all cocoa-growing regional capitals across the country.
He said it was not good enough that cocoa clinics were mainly located in Accra.
"John Dramani Mahama is promising to change the narrative and he is going to build ultramodern cocoa clinics in all cocoa-growing regional capitals to serve the health needs of cocoa farmers and their families,” he said.
Speaking at Norberkow, a cocoa-growing community at Asunafo South as part of the campaign tour of the Ahafo Region by the vice-presidential candidate of the NDC, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Mr Opoku also mentioned that the next NDC government would put cocoa farmers and their families on free National Health Insurance.
He said the next NDC government would also give cocoa farmers a good pension package, pointing out that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government was taking advantage of cocoa farmers by taking two kilos of their produce all in the name of rolling out a pension scheme for the farmers.
"But John Dramani Mahama is promising to give cocoa farmers a good pension package and he is not going to take any kilo of cocoa from them as the NPP government is doing ", he said.
Mr Opoku also disclosed that the next NDC government would pay a reasonable farm gate price to all cocoa farmers, saying that the current farm gate price being paid by the government was a rip-off.
The Asunafo South Member of Parliament said the next NDC government would also bring back the free fertiliser policy.
He therefore urged cocoa farmers to vote for the NDC presidential candidate, Mr Mahama, in the upcoming December 7 general election to enable him to implement his cocoa-farmer-friendly policies and improve the lot of farmers.
The Chief of Asifufuo, Nana Okyere Siabour III, said the pro-youth policies of the NDC had made the party very attractive, especially to the youth.
He said the days are gone when the party was noted for having only elderly people as its main support base.
Nana Okyere Siabour said Ghanaians have had the opportunity of comparing the two major political parties and it was clear that the NDC puts the interest of the people first.
He said NDC manifesto policies such as the 24-Hour Economy, the Big Push and the No Fee Stress, among other policies, resonate very well with the youth who were desperately looking for opportunities, including employment.
"Not too long ago, it was difficult to see the youth following the NDC and even wearing NDC T-shirts. But that is not the case anymore as the youth have taken over the party and it is now very attractive," he said.
For her part, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the NDC would keep its promise to Ghanaians by making the country a better place for all.
She therefore urged the electorate to vote for Mr Mahama and NDC parliamentary candidates in the December general election.
