The Flag-bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says Ghana’s new oil and gas find must not be treated as the three major natural commodities of the country where they are exported in a very raw form without processing.

He said Ghana has reached a stage in her development where there is the urgent need to strategically shift her economy from just the production of raw materials to a vigorous value added industrial activity to promote an economy that could ensure better living conditions for the masses.

This is because the country cannot rely on the present economic structure to make any meaningful progress to provide a rise in income levels of the people and also generate general prosperity within the country.

Nana Akufo-Addo re-iterated this when he addressed members of the United Kingdom Midlands branch of the NPP in Birmingham over the weekend.

Over one thousand Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians who had arrived from around UK such as Dundee, Hull, Northampton, Manchester, Portsmouth Lester, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Coventry, Cardiff among others filled the hall to its full capacity causing tens of the audiences to stand for the entire duration of the programme.

Professional crowd stewards had a very tough time controlling the enthusiastic crowd- each of them wanting to shake hands and also have photo opportunity with the NPP Flag-bearer.

A delegation from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the area was present and read a solidarity message.

The NPP Flag-bearer observed that Ghana has not been able to expand its foreign receipts, saying for the past 90 years, the nation has continued to allow gold, timber and cocoa to dominate her foreign receipts by only exporting in the very raw form.

He expressed worry that the situation was far from getting better as the nation’s latest raw material, which is crude oil, had been added to the raw material export wagon.

To this end the presidential hopeful indicated that the next government of Ghana that he will form, would provide lasting solution to the problem by changing the trend. “This will be done by adding value to our raw materials before we export them,” he promised.

Nana Akufo-Addo displayed great exposition to explain his prescription as the fundamental medium to lift the nation out of economic woes.

According to him, between 85 and 90 per cent of the national foreign receipt is dominated by the three traditional raw materials, namely cocoa, timber and gold with crude oil adding to them.

“There is no way that we are going to generate prosperity in our country, if we continue down that line.” he emphasised.

He said the fundamental objective of the next NPP government will be to ensure that by the end of the party’s period in office, these statistics would have undergone an essential change.

He said only about between 20 and 30 per cent of raw materials will be exported with the balance coming up as value added commodities through technological and industrial activities.

“For these to be achieved we will also have to provide the request and meaningful education and training to our people to produce excellent manpower and this is why we say we will be keen in proving free and good education for our people”.

The NPP leader, who was applauded by the gathering including one of his former English law lecturers, Professor Emeritus Woods, through out his delivery, also catalogued issues confronting the people of Ghana that he will be tackling when he becomes the next president.

The Flagbearer was accompanied by the Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso, Mr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto.