Upper East asked to change pattern of voting

Bolgatanga, July 16, 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 Gh ana, 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.