Convert your political opponents

Vice President Aliu Mahama on Sunday advised supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to convert their political opponents into their fold and desist from making fun of them.

Addressing members of the Nasara (Victory) Club at Bolgatanga, Alhaji Mahama said the government needed the contributions of all Ghanaians, irrespective of their political affiliation for the nation to progress.

"Rivals of the NPP should not be teased away. You should rather explain government policies to them so that they would appreciate them and help in their implementation", he stressed.

"We need to be tolerant of divergent views and opinions and in our interaction with those who do not understand us, let us try to woo them like we do in religion, but not deride them."

The Vice President said it was important for the NPP to get more support in areas such as Northern Ghana, where the party's support-base was weak so that more of the people would accept to serve in government.

Alhaji Mahama said the government would open its doors to all shades of opinion and continuously interact with the people so that their views and concerns would reflect in its policies and programmes.

The club, formed two years ago, has about 400 members, mostly business people with sympathies for the NPP.

He advised the members to take advantage of micro financing schemes to expand their businesses and improve their standard of living.

Alhaji Alhassan Saibu, Chairman and Hajia Kande Seidu, Executive Member, led the delegation that paid a courtesy call on the Vice President.