Han, (UWR), April 5, GNA - Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama, a member of Council of State has stated that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is a party for the people of the Upper West Region because it has brought a lot of development to them. He said the people would never turn their backs on the NDC but would always reciprocate the good things it had provided them with a massive voting. Alhaji Mahama was speaking at the launch of a bye-election campaign rally at Han in the Jirapa District on Friday. The bye-election has become necessary following the death of Mr. Edward Kojo Salia, Member of Parliament for the constituency. Alhaji Mahama said the provision of electricity and the establishment of the University for Development Studies (UDS) in the North was a testimony to some of the good things the NDC had done for the people.

He urged voters in the constituency to turn out in their numbers and vote massively for the NDC to retain the seat to continue to bring development to the region.

Mr. Yaw Gyan, National Deputy Organiser of the NDC said President John Atta Mills would deliver on all the promises he made to the electorate during his campaign period. He however appealed to Ghanaians to exercise patience for President Mills to put his government machinery in place to set on into work to fulfill the promises.

Mr. Gyan said the provision of free uniform for basic school children and the one time premium for the National Health Insurance would be implemented while the NDC would also continue with all the good policies and programmes of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to benefit the people. He said government would develop the agricultural potentials of the north through the intervention of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority to help improve the living conditions of the people.

Mr. Mahmud Khalid, Upper West Regional Minister said a win for the NDC in the bye-election would be the best tribute the people of Jirapa would have given to the late Salia.

He called on NDC supporters to be vigilant and help track down smugglers of petroleum products to neighbouring countries. "The activities of these people had created an artificial shortage of petroleum products in the country.

"These people are out to destroy the image of our great party before Ghanaians and we must not allow them", Mr. Khalid said. Madam Alice Boon, a former member of parliament for Lambussie, said the Jirapa seat was a "sure banker" for the NDC. She said other political parties such as the New Patriotic Party had put in its candidate to contest the bye election as a matter of formality.

"The Jirapa bye election can best be described like a tortoise going into a race with an antelope, and this tells that spectators can make their own conclusions before the election day", Madam Boon pointed out. She appealed to supporters of the other political parties to vote for the NDC to be part of its victory celebration. Alhaji Seidu Jamatutu, Wa Central Constituency Chairman of the NDC expressed regret that the NPP administration did not see any qualified person in the Upper West Region to be appointed as a cabinet minister.

He said there are many reasons why the people of the North would always remember the NDC and nobody should blame them for the love they have for the party.

"How can we forget a party that has appointed two of our people as cabinet ministers and three others as Council of State members", he asked "What is my and what is ours cannot be said to be the same", Alhaji Jamatutu retorted.