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The vice-presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has reiterated the commitment of the next NDC administration to revamp market centres across the country.
She stated that the Markets Enhancement Programme initiative would enhance trading activities, especially among women, and boost local economies.
Addressing Muslim queenmothers and traders at Asawase in the Asawase Constituency as part of her campaign tour of the Ashanti Region, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the NDC had an impressive track record of building modern markets in Kejetia in Kumasi and Kotokoraba in Cape Coast, among other places, and would deliver on its promise.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said mindful of the concerns of Muslim communities, the previous NDC government trained Muslim ladies in Cuba as doctors to enable them to provide medical care to Muslim communities.
She said the next NDC administration would continue the policy of training Muslim ladies as doctors for the benefit of people in predominantly Muslim communities.
Touching on Hajj pilgrimage, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang noted that the GH¢75,000 cost of the pilgrimage was expensive and beyond the reach of many Muslims.
She said the high cost of Hajj was now preventing many Muslims from fulfilling one of the key pillars of Islam.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the next NDC government, under the leadership of John Dramani Mahama, would reduce Hajj fares for Muslims to be able to travel to Mecca for their Hajj pilgrimage.
At another forum in the Nhyiaeso Constituency, where she addressed various professions, she urged the electorate in the Ashanti Region to vote for change in the upcoming December 7 general election.
She said although the region had consistently been rallying behind the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the people had been taken for granted because NPP governments did not reward them with commensurate development projects.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, however, said NDC governments had honoured the people in the region with almost all its major development projects, including the Kejetia Market and a modern airport.
She said it was imperative that the electorate in the region supported the NDC and voted for change in the upcoming elections to ensure more development in the region.
On the economy, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang noted that on the watch of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice-President Alhaji Bawumia, the country was unable to service its debt because it was broke.
"Our country is not sitting pretty and it is everybody's responsibility to ensure that we are tilting ourselves back. It will take a lot of efforts, it will take a lot of sacrifice; it is not business as usual," she said.
She said policies such as the 24-Hour Economy, the Big Push and the National Apprenticeship Programme under the presidency of Mr Mahama would create jobs.
