General News of Tuesday, 23 September 2008

Source: GNA

"I will erase illiteracy in Ghana'- Akuffo Addo

Adansi Akrofuom, Sept. 23, GNA - Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo, the Flag bearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said his government will come out with pragmatic policies and programmes that will facilitate the eradication of illiteracy in the country. He said illiteracy should be totally checked, if the country was to move forward, and cited the experiences of Korea and Singapore, which had advanced through education of the mass of its people.

Nana Akufo- Addo, who was addressing a mammoth rally at Akrofuom in the Adansi South District of Ashanti, as part of his campaign tour of the region, pointed out that education was crucial to the development of the country and that his government would give the recognition to it. He announced that under his government, all public basic schools would be hooked to the School Feeding Programme, whilst greater attention would be given to the welfare of teachers.

At the moment, he said, measures where being taken to correct distortions in the salaries of teachers, stressing "Measures are being put in place to rectify these distortions".

The NPP Presidential Candidate catalogued the number of benefits cocoa farmers had under the Kufour-led NPP government, and said his administration would consolidate these support by going further to establish pension scheme for them to guarantee a better life at their old age.

He told the people to trumpet the numerous development projects they have witnessed under the present government including the tarring of Obuasi-Akrofuom road, schools and the like, to enable them win more souls to the Party.

Nana Akufo -Addo, whose tour took him to Obuasi, Tweapease, Jacobu and Kuntenase on that day, spoke about galamsey and said his government would put in the necessary structures to enable the illegal miners pursue genuine small-scale mining business for their livelihood. The NPP Presidential hopeful condemned ethnic politics stressing that "We need politics of unity, solidarity and peace to move the nation forward".