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17.01.2008 NPP

E/R NPP honours former Chairmen

17.01.2008 LISTEN
By The Statesman

The Eastern Regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Yaw Gyekye Amoabeng Friday made a personal donation of 21 inch colour TV sets to each of the 28 constituencies in the Eastern Region and one each to three former Regional chairmen, M M Y Boateng, Fred Asante and Nana Adi Ankamah in appreciation for their hard work.

The presentation took place at the Koforidua Eredec Hotel where the constituency executives and a large crowd of party members met to welcome the NPP presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo when he visited the region as part of his nationwide Thank You tour. The candidate was accompanied by 13 of the 16 men who contested with him.

Addressing the crowd, Boakye Agyako assured that the NPP was poised to inflict a hat trick of defeats on the NDC. Mr Agyarko called for unity among the NPP members, reminding them they belong to one big family and they should see themselves as such.

Hackman Owusu-Agyemang said in 2004, he was with President Kufuor when Prof Atta Mills rang him and congratulated him for winning the election, and expressed his conviction that he would ring again after the 2008 elections to congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo after the results have been declared.

Kwame Addo-Kufuor appealed to the party supporters to rally behind Nana Akufo-Addo and give him their fullest support to enable him win the 2008 election. He warned against complacency, reminding them that although victory is "clearly written" on the wall, they should work harder to ensure the margin of victory would leave no doubts in the minds of the electorate.

Kwabena Frempong Boateng, Dan Botwe and Felix Owusu-Adjapong all charged party faithful to put whatever happened in the run up to the party's Congress last December behind them and mount a vigorous campaign to ensure victory in the December general elections.

Adding is voice to their call, Mike Oquaye declared that the party should aim at winning 65% of the popular vote. Touching on the NDC's accusations of NPP plans to rig the December polls, Prof Oquaye said vote rigging is not the culture of NPP, "and it can never be our culture".

Reminding the gathering that the Presidential candidate hailed from the region, Papa Owusu Ankomah asked for nothing less than 90 percent of votes in the Eastern Region, while Jake Obetsebi Lamptey challenged the regional executive to capture all the 28 parliamentary seats in honour of Nana Akufo-Addo; Yaw Osafo-Maafo assured that every effort would be made to ensure the party wins all the seats.

When Kofi Konadu Apraku took his turn he said before the NPP congress, the delegates from the Eastern Region shared jokes and laughed with all the spirants. But, it was unknown to them that they had already chosen Nana Akufo-Addo, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Alan Kyerematen and Kwabena Agyepong pledged their unflinching support for the candidate, and called on their supporters to do same.

Taking his turn, Nana Akufo Addo had a simple message for Ghanaians: "President Kufuor will step down from office after 2008 and with your support, will hand over power to me in 2009," drawing cheers from the crowd. But, he said, the battle will not be easy and therefore called for hard work by all party members.

Nana Akufo-Addo reiterated his call for the party's foot soldiers to take the impending reopening of the Voter's Register very seriously and ensure everybody 18 years and over is registered.

By Peter Abban

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