Akufo-Addo rounds up ‘Rise and Build’ tour
The flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has rounded up his three-day Rise and Build tour of the Ashanti Region with the assurance that the NPP is seeking power for exponential development and progress of the country.
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He explained that under the Mahama Administration, the fortunes of the country had nosedived in an unprecedented manner leading to the collapse of industries, high cost of living and desperation among Ghanaians, and assured that the NPP would reverse that regrettable trend.
Nana Akufo-Addo was in the region to meet parliamentary aspirants and those who lost their bid, constituency executives, regional executives and elders to discuss with them the way forward for the party in the forthcoming general election.
He was accompanied by some of those who competed with him in the party’s presidential primary, including Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Mr Addai-Nimoh and Mr Joe Ghartey, who all took turns to address the party executives and members.
He moves to the Greater Accra Region which is the last leg of his 10-region tour dubbed: “Rise and Build”.
Unity
All parliamentary aspirants and those who contested them and lost were called to the front and made to hold hands and in the full glare of the gathering admonished to bury all differences and work in unity to ensure that the party engenders high voter turnout leading to 80 per cent votes for the NPP and claim all the 47 parliamentary seats in the region.
After the symbolic gathering and gestures, Nana Akufo-Addo called out the individual names of almost all the parliamentary aspirants, especially those who beat incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs) and the names of others in areas where there were some grievances and charged them to bury their differences for the benefit of the party.
He charged those who had been elected as aspirants to take the lead role in bringing all members of the party together to execute the 80 per cent votes and 47 seats agenda to assume the reins of power to bring about accelerated development and relief to the people of Ghana.
Economy
Addressing the gathering, Nana Akufo-Addo expressed worry about how a robust economy with flourishing pro-poor policies such as National Health Insurance Scheme the (NHIS), School Feeding Programme among others instituted by the Kufuor Administration had deteriorated under the current regime.
He explained that his administration would change the structure of the economy from the current import-dependent to an industrial export-led economy through the institution of deliberate policies and programmes that would prosper the private sector industries.
He said a prosperous private sector would lead to the generation of decent, well paid and secure employment and a great boost for the economy.
He cited Cote d’lvoire where five years after political instability, a new government had been able to turn the country’s fortunes around to a country that is exporting agricultural produce to the tune of $12 billion while Ghana was currently doing just $2 billion and added that that trend would be reversed.
1 million votes for NDC?
Nana Akufo-Addo described the NDC’s claim to win one million votes in the Ashanti Region in the 2016 election as an illusion which would not see the light of day because the NPP was working assiduously to ensure that it gained 80 per cent of the total votes.
John Buadu
The National Organiser of the NPP, Mr John Buadu, made it clear to the gathering that the NPP was formed basically and mainly to win political power, develop the country and ensure that Ghana lived in freedom and prosperity, and that should be at the back of everything they do.
He said to realise that, it was incumbent on all members of the party to visit every house to preach the best policy of the NPP, and that meant each member of the party, as well as those who believed in the party, was encouraged to vote.
He said the clarion call of ordinary persons in Ghana was for a change of the Mahama administration and this would only materialise or not based on what happened in the Ashanti Region in general, and added that the 80 per cent target in the Ashanti Region should be based on high voter turnout.
