The 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has appealed to the electorate in the Upper West Region to reunite, once again, with the NPP and help push the ‘Elephant’ into Jubilee House on December 7.
Addressing yet another mammoth rally in Wa, the venue for the NPP’s Upper West Regional Rally, Nana Akufo-Addo stated that “whenever I’m in the Upper West, I feel a strong emotion of sadness.”
According to him, “this region (Upper West) gave to our party, and, to our country, some of its greatest leaders – Chief S.D Dombo, B.K Adama, Abaayifa Karbo, Jato Kaleo and Mumuni Dimbie. These were outstanding Ghanaians who are the base of our tradition. They gave their lives in the struggle for freedom and democracy in Ghana.”
However, “today, the Upper West Region is no longer following in their tradition”, with the NPP receiving some 30% of the popular vote in the 2012 election.
“I have come to appeal to you. This December, on the 7th, in two weeks’ time, let us reunite the Upper West with its tradition and the great figures that came from here, and set the country onto the path of progress and prosperity,” he said.
With the mainstay of the majority of residents of the region being farming, Nana Akufo-Addo assured that his government, God-willing, January 2017, will provide active support for the nation’s farmers, as well as irrigation facilities – ‘1-Village-1-Dam’ policy – which will transform the fortunes of the region and its people, and turn it into a potential bread basket for the country.
He assured that “we are going to create the conditions for year-round farming”, stressing that “if Burkina Faso can do it, so can we also do it in the Upper West Region and create prosperity and jobs for our people.”
In addition to ‘1-District-1-Factory’ policy, which will help create jobs for the people of the region, Nana Akufo-Addo stressed that the increase in agricultural productivity, through the provision of improved seedlings, subsidised fertilisers, and extension services, amongst others, will boost significantly agricultural production, and create jobs and prosperity, and thereby halt the migration of youth from the North to the South in search of non-existent jobs.
The NPP flagbearer also reiterated his commitment towards the effective implementation of the Free SHS policy, the revival of the collapsed National Health Insurance Scheme, and the establishment of the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), which will see every constituency receiving the equivalent of $1 million every year to deal with problems of sanitation, water, roads, electricity and other infrastructural needs of the constituency.
Nana Akufo-Addo indicated that a vote for him in the December polls will mean that Ghanaians would have elected a President who will treat all citizens with the utmost respect, and one who will also jealously guard the public purse for the improvement of their livelihoods.
“I am not coming into office to lord it over the people. Neither, am I coming into office to use disrespectful language on the people. I will not say to Ghanaians that they have short memories. I am also not coming into office to steal the people’s money to fill my pockets. That’s not why I am seeking your mandate,” the NPP flagbearer added.
He continued, “We are going to redevelop Ghana, and it will be my greatest pleasure and achievement to be the instrument to reunite the Upper West with its origin and foundation. I need your help to build the new Ghana that we have ahead of us, and you are going to be its greatest beneficiaries.
“The future of our nation is bright, the prospects for Ghana are tremendous. What it needs is good leadership, honest leadership and visionary leadership, and we can create a prosperous and great nation.”
Nana Akufo-Addo will, on Thursday, November 24, temporarily suspend his campaign, in order to mourn with Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and express his deepest condolences on the death of the Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Kobi Serwaa Ampem II.
The NPP flagbearer will resume his campaign on Friday, November 25, with two separate rallies in the Brong Ahafo Region, i.e. in Techiman and in Sunyani.