Feature by Iddi Yire
Accra, March 20, GNA - Under the bright Bono sun in Dormaa Ahenkro, a market woman, later identified as Auntie Yaa Donkor, pauses mid-sale, her eyes fixed on a gathering crowd. Word has spread quickly: the President is in town. For her and many others, the visit is more than ceremony -it carries the promise of change, of better trading spaces, and of a future where effort yields more reward.
That moment captures the spirit of President John Dramani Mahama’s nationwide “Resetting Ghana Tour,” which began on Wednesday, March 18, in the Bono Region. The tour seeks to bring governance closer to the people, offering a platform for direct engagement with chiefs and citizens while reviewing ongoing development projects.
On the first day of the two-day visit, President Mahama paid a courtesy call on Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, Omanhene of the Dormaa Traditional Area and President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, at his palace in Dormaa Ahenkro. The visit set the tone for a tour anchored on collaboration with traditional authority and community participation.
From the palace, the President joined a durbar of chiefs and people at the proposed site for a 24-Hour Market, where he cut the sod for construction to begin. The initiative forms part of the Government’s flagship 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme.
For traders like the woman at the market, such projects are not abstract policy ideas. They represent safer spaces, extended business hours, and improved incomes. Each model market is designed to include shops, restaurants, storage facilities, banking services, security posts, childcare centres, and transport hubs- features that reflect the daily realities of market life.
The President emphasised that markets remain central to Ghana’s local economy, sustaining families and driving grassroots development. He assured traders affected by construction that they will be prioritised in the allocation of space upon completion.
The tour also highlights infrastructure development across the region. At Jinijini, the President inspected the 80-kilometre Jinijini-Sampa road project, a key route connecting cashew-producing communities to markets and linking Ghana to the border town of Sampa.
Addressing a durbar at Fetenta, he assured the residents that the road would be asphalted and completed by the end of 2027, noting that major road projects were being financed through internally generated funds under the Government’s Big Push Programme.
On the second day, attention shifted to education and security infrastructure. At the Sunyani Senior High School, the President inspected GETFund-supported projects, including science laboratories, classroom blocks, dormitories, and staff accommodation. He appealed to contractors to accelerate work to ensure timely delivery.
The visit to the Bono Regional Office of the National Signals Bureau underscores the Government’s focus on strengthening national security systems, while the inspection of the proposed Bono Regional Airport site at Nsuatre points to ambitions of enhancing regional connectivity and economic growth.
In Sunyani, the President also inspected the 34-kilometre Outer Ring Road project, expected to ease congestion in the city and improve urban mobility.
At a regional dialogue held at the University of Energy and Natural Resources, the Bono Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Addae Akwaboa, outlined ongoing projects and provided updates on school feeding, as well as peace and security in the region.
The President used the platform to outline policy directions and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
He urged traditional rulers and opinion leaders to actively engage District Assemblies to ensure the prudent use of public resources.
The tour concluded with the presentation of grants to 475 beneficiaries under the Adwumawura Programme, reflecting a continued emphasis on youth empowerment and entrepreneurship.
Across towns and communities, the tour revealed a region in motion - roads under construction, schools expanding, and markets taking shape. Yet beyond the physical projects lies a deeper narrative: the attempt to reconnect leadership with lived experiences.
For the market woman in Dormaa Ahenkro, the visit is not just about speeches or ceremonies. It is about whether the promises will translate into improved livelihoods.
As the crowd dispersed and trading resumed, hope lingered - quiet but resolute - that this “resetting” will indeed make a difference where it matters most: in the everyday lives of the people.
GNA
21 March 202
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