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OPENING REMARKS BY HONOURABLE J.R.D. KOBINAH – NDPC COMMISSIONER FOR WESTERN REGION Date: 19th November 2015 Venue: Kingstel Hotel, Takoradi Distinguished Members of the Council of State, Honourable Ministers, Honourable Members of Parliament, Honourable Municipal and District Chief Executives, Nananom, Chairman of NDPC, Professor Kwesi Botchwey, Director-General of NDPC, Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, Distinguished religious leaders, Heads of MDAS, Representatives of MMDAS, Representatives of civil society organisations, Our dear children, Our partners in the media, Invited guests, Ladies and gentlemen, It is a real pleasure for me that today we take our turn at such an important forum to make our input, as a region, into the preparation of our 40-year national development plan framework. Ladies and gentlemen, We have certainly had plans, from the first one by Guggisberg through those by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. We have even had some by former leaders like General I.K. Acheampong and President Jerry Rawlings. Our experience in the execution of such plans in our chequered history makes it clear that most of these plans were abandoned at each change in government. The jettisoning of such plans at each change of government came with a huge cost to the state. Need I mention the silos, the abandoned Gold Refinery at Tarkwa, the Bui dam, etc.? I believe these were among the reasons that informed the people’s cry for a plan that was truly national in character and in ownership (and not the product of one particular REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON THE LONG-TERM NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Opening Remarks by Commissioner J R. D. Kobinah ©NDPC, 2015

2 government), as was stridently expressed by the people during the Constitution Review Commission’s work. Nananom, may I take this opportunity to congratulate the Chairman of the Commission and his team for this initiative that will respond to the yearning of the people of Ghana. It is my expectation that the people in this region will rise up to the occasion and be counted among those that contributed to crafting this epoch-making long-term national development policy framework. Let us feel free to contribute; above all let us support this wonderful initiative. Thank you.

REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON THE LONG-TERM NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Opening Remarks by Commissioner J R. D. Kobinah ©NDPC, 2015