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President John Dramani Mahama has stated that the tremendous progress the country has made under his administration makes him feel proud to be the President of the country.

"This country is moving forward, "he said, and added that in spite of the war of lies waged by the opposition against his government, Ghana's respectability among nations had soared tremendously as a result of the progress the nation had made.

"I am proud to be President of this great nation," President Mahama said when he addressed a rally at Zorkuor in the Bongo Constituency in the Upper East Region last Tuesday night.

Although the rally started around midnight, supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) defied the late hour to listen to the President.

On yet another busy campaign day which travelled to about 1 a.m yesterday, the President also addressed rallies at Sandema, Chiana, Paga and Mirigu and paid courtesy calls on some chiefs.

North benefitted

He said work had begun on the construction of new irrigation dams at Kamba and Tamne in the Upper West and Upper East regions.

He said when he took over office as President, there were 111,000 hectares of land under irrigation but currently it had increased to more than 200,000 hectares of irrigable land as a result of some measures the government had put in place over the years to improve food production.

He explained that the Tamne Irrigation Dam at Garu would help provide an additional 1,500 hectares of irrigable land to boost all-year farming.

President Mahama indicated that access to potable water in the country had increased from 58 per cent to 76 per cent owing to the many interventions the government had put in place .

He said the Navrongo-Naaga road had been awarded on contract and that two contractors would soon move to site for work to start.

The President further stated that the Naaga to Bolgatanga road would also be awarded on contract and that the government's resolve to improve on roads in the regional and district capitals, as well as some feeder roads linking the capitals to smaller communities was on course.

Commendation

During a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Naaga and President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, Naaba Awuni Ayamga Olando III, at Naaga in the Kassena Nankana Municipality, Naaba Olando commended the government for the provision of boreholes, electricity and a six-unit classroom block for the area.