President Mahama tells Ghanaians in diaspora to return
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday said government would pursue measures that would attract most Ghanaians living in the diaspora to come home and lend their support to national development.
He said energy was critical to national development and that was why his administration spent most of his first year in office to fix all the energy challenges that bedevilled the country since last year.
President Mahama said this when he addressed the Ghanaian community in Cotonou, as part of his two-day state visit of the Republic of Benin.
The programme attracted hundreds of Ghanaians resident in the Francophone West African state.
The President, who earlier on held bilateral discussions with President Thomas Yayi Boni of Benin, said despite the restoration of electricity to Ghana, government would continue to pursue policies that would enhance adequate production for both domestic and external consumption.
He said countries such as Benin and Togo had been on the heels of Ghana for energy and he would step up production in the coming years to meet the 2016 target of 5000 megawatts for that purpose.
“Ghana is not only forging ahead to become self-sufficient in energy production, but to also become a net exporter of the commodity to neighbouring countries, because of our comparative advantage, “President Mahama added.
On guarding the country’s territorial waters, President Mahama said government had so far provided ships to the Ghana Navy and initiated the Ghana Marine Police to fight maritime crime in the gulf of Guinea.
President Mahama called on all Ghanaians, who had the expertise to come home and invest, rather than playing second fiddle to other nationals outside Ghana.
In another Development, President Mahama commended President Thomas Yayi Boni of Benin for initiating a national health insurance, describing it as the best move to alleviate poverty amongst the masses.
President Mahama, who was addressing the workers of Benin on the health insurance in Ghana, said although the scheme had teething problems in the country, it had come out to be one of the best social interventions in the country.
He therefore entreated the people of Benin to embrace it to serve their nationals at all levels.
Source: GNA