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Upper East asked to change pattern of voting
Bolgatanga, July 16, Ghanadot/GNA– Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo, flag bearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP),
on Tuesday called on the people in the Upper East region to
change their traditional pattern of voting for one
particular party.
He asked the electorate to vote for NPP in the 2008 Election
because the party has ensured that the region had its fair
share of the national cake.
Nana Akufo-Addo stressed that it was only fair that the
electorate reciprocated the effort by voting massively for
the party to enable it to continue with its good policies
and programmes, adding “We are hoping that this time round
our fortunes would improve”.
The NPP flag bearer, who was on a four-day campaign tour of
the region, was addressing a NPP rally at the newly
constructed jubilee grounds in Bolgatanga.
He had earlier called on the paramount Chief of the
Bolgatanga Traditional Area, Naba Martin Abilba and the
Tindana of Soe, a suburb of the Bolgatanga Municipality.
Nana Akufo-Addo reiterated that he would bridge the gap
between the Northern and Southern parts of Ghana in terms of
infrastructure and human resource development.
He explained that this would give Northern Ghana a better
facelift and halt the continuous drifting of people from
that part to the south in search of greener postures.
Nana Akufo-Addo said he would establish a Northern
Development Fund with a seed capital of one billion cedis,
ensure the construction of a comprehensive cluster of
irrigable dams and the rehabilitation of old ones, and the
introduction of modern farming techniques and the
commercialization of agriculture, to achieve his plans for
the North.
The NPP flag bearer also said he would encourage the
creation of new agricultural institutions and the expansion
of existing vocational, technical and agricultural colleges
in the three northern regions, whose products would support
the agricultural programme so that the people could live in
dignity and pride.
Nana Akufo-Addo said he would give particular attention to
infrastructure development including expansion of road
networks, the continuation of the rail network project
linking the south to the north and the development of
education to its highest form.
The flag bearer noted that education was key to unlocking
the fortunes of every nation in its bid to develop and said
the NPP was committed to promoting developing education and
health, Nana Akufo-Addo said the NPP would continue with its
policies on these sectors to ensure that secondary education
was free, while efforts would be made to get the youth under
18 years hooked to the National Health Insurance Scheme free
of charge.
He appealed to Ghanaians to eschew ethnic and sectional
sentiments and rather forge for a united Ghana, adding that
the NPP rejected the politics of divide and rule.
Nana Akufo-Addo said that contrary to threats by some group
of persons of blood letting if they failed to win this
year’s election, the NPP would ensure that the country
recorded the most peaceful elections in the nation’s
history, adding “there is no reason why Ghanaian single drop
of blood should be shared.”
High ranking members of the party accompanying him on the
tour included Mr. Osafo Marfo, former Finance Minister, Mr.
Alan Kyeremanteng, Hajia Alima Mahama, Mr. Dan Botwe and Mr.
Joseph Kofi Adda among others.
Some of them addressed the rally and called on qualified
persons to register if the voters register was opened.
GNA
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