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Nana Akufo-Addo to improve security if
elected President
Accra, June 26, Ghanadot/GNA– Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,
flag bearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the
2008 Election, on Thursday said if elected as president,
national security would be his main priority.
“I will increase the number of police personnel in the
country to 50, 000 within the next five years from the
current 22, 000, provide modern security training and
equipment to tackle the challenges of security facing the
country,” he stated in Accra.
Nana Akufo-Addo who was speaking at the Institute of
Economic Affairs sponsored platform dubbed: “An Evening
Encounter with A Presidential candidate,” said the public
deserves a police service that is friendly, effective,
efficient and professional in their operations.
The NPP flag bearer said fighting crime would be a top
priority to ensure that every citizen was safe and free to
move about and conduct business without fear.
On education, Nana Akufo-Addo said a next NPP regime under
his Presidency would establish one University in every
region in Ghana, expand infrastructure of existing tertiary
institutions to enable many more people to attain high
quality education.
He said the University for Development Studies, which has
three campuses in Tamale, Navrongo and Wa would also be
strengthened; and “Government will absorb additional user
fees for science students to encourage the studying of
science.”
Nana Akufo-Addo said the nation would spend about 75 million
Ghana cedis to implement free compulsory secondary education
programme and teacher training colleges would be upgraded to
tertiary level to train more qualitative teachers who would
be capable of implementing the New Education Reform.
He said the School Feeding Programme would be expanded to
enable parents send their children to school.
The NPP flag bearer, who was former Foreign Minister, said
he was committed to ensuring that the gap in education
between the north and south in the country was bridged.
On decentralisation, Nana Akufo-Addo said the District
Assembly Common Fund would be increased from five per cent
to ten per cent to enable district assemblies to undertake
development projects for the benefit of the majority of the
people.
As the international community marks the day against drug
abuse and illicit trafficking, Nana Akufo-Addo said he would
institute measures to collaborate with agencies in the
United States and the United Kingdom in the fight against
the menace.
The NPP flag bearer said he would fight corruption
relentlessly adding "I will fight corruption vigorously
through empowering institutions charged with fighting
corruption with the needed human and material resources.”
Nana Akufo-Addo also answered questions from the audience,
on national reconciliation, criteria for the selection of
his running mate, views on current legal debacle, unpaid
salaries of newly trained teachers, maternal mortality and
disability.
He was also challenged on the economy, contribution to
national development, failure of the NPP in implementing
provisions of the its Election 2000 manifesto especially on
election of District Chief Executives, ethnic imbalances.
The orderly nature of the programme was nearly marred when
some uninvited supporters of the flag bearer attempted to
enter the hall for the programme.
The high profile audience in the packed hall over heard some
of the supporters shouting at the top of their voice, “am a
founding member of this party, you cannot deny me entry into
the hall.”
Sanity was however restored, after about five minutes of
heckling and shouting.
GNA
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