Cape Coast, the ancient capital of Ghana has not seen any major developmental work for a very long time.
A number of abandoned projects such as parts of the Central Regional Police bungalows that are stalled for over fourty years among others are still unattended and begging for mercy under the sun.
Successive governments have been reluctant towards the completion of such projects at the detriment of Cape Coast.
There are however a number of unfulfilled promises that must be addressed, like the airport or airstrip, dual carriage roads in some principal streets and the fishing harbour promised Cape Coast among others.
According to the Central Regional Chairman for Movement for Change, Frank Hutchful, who is also the Vice President of the Association of Cape Coast Concerned Citizens [ACCCA], “Cape Coast is underdeveloped due to the fact that previous governments turned a blind eye to its development and that was why the people of Cape Coast voted for President Mahama in the 2024 general elections.
“NPP promised us dual carriage roads from John Kufour’s time but they did not do it. NDC government came, we didn’t see any attempt made on it. NPP came again under the leadership of Nana Akufo Addo but they also did not do anything about it”.
Speaking to a section of media personnel in Cape Coast, he pointed out that there should be skill training initiatives to create employment for the youth.
“We need a new and modernized market at Abura, in front of the New Cape Coast Stadium, which should be bigger than the Kotokuraba market which was built by the previous NDC government. Also, we need a market at Adisadel”, the Vice Chair of ACCCA stated.
Mr Hutchful, who is popularly known as Oguaa Akoto stated that Cape Coast had nothing to boast of in terms of development.
“They promised us an airport at Ankarful, later, they said it would be located at Komenda but failed. We need a lot of things that would enhance the development of Cape Coast”.
He revealed that about eighty to ninety percent of major developmental projects in Cape Coast were done by a military government.
For instance; Cape Coast Court complex, SNNIT Office, Ministries, Ayikoo Ayikoo Estate, Ola Estate, Pedu Estate, parts of the Interbetton bungalows, Regional Police station and its bangalows and Ewim Hospital among others were constucted by a military government.
Oguaa Akoto further stated that if the president was able to tackle a number of the challenges facing the people of Cape Coast and Central Region in general, the NDC party would be rewarded by the people of the region during another general elections.
He touched on the economic hardship bedeviling Ghanaians and suggested to the president to increase salaries and endeavour to make food production cheaper to make life easy for the ordinary Ghanaian.
Mr Hutchful welcomed the reintroduction of the road tolls but was quick to add that the E-levy amongst the other taxes that the president promised to scrap should be maintained, since he would need taxes to build the country.
