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18.03.2008 Politics

Nana Seizes La

By Daily Guide
Nana Seizes La
18.03.2008 LISTEN

Chiefs, traditional priests, clan heads and people of La yesterday treated the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo to an exciting welcome when he visited the town as part of his tour of the Greater Accra Region.

The visit was to introduce himself to the authorities of La and seek their permission to take his campaign message to the people of the town.

The crowd that trooped to see the NPP flagbearer was so large that it caused vehicular and human traffic, making it impossible for any vehicle to move through the principal streets of the town.

Nana Addo himself had to abandon his vehicle and get down to trek, as his convoy got locked in traffic jam while police officers tried to divert oncoming vehicles to use other roads in an attempt to ease the congestion in the area.

Around the La market, many women abandoned their merchandise and rushed to catch a glimpse of Nana Addo who took his time to respond to cheers and shake hands with as many people as he could while the town was bursting with excitement.

The traditional priests, after pouring libation and performing some traditional rituals, decorated the NPP flagbearer with a royal garland.

Nana Addo in the company of his wife, Rebecca, stormed La with a high-profile delegation of NPP bigwigs including the former Speaker of Parliament, Peter Ala Adjetey; NPP Campaign Manager, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey; Mayor of Accra, Nii Adjiri Blankson; Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheikh IC Quaye; some ministers of state, Parliamentarians, national and regional officers and some NPP flagbearer-aspirants who had contested and lost the position to him.

They were received at the chief's palace by the La Mantse, Nii La Kpobi Tete Tsuru and elders of the La Traditional Council.

The palace itself was filled to capacity; yet there were people outside craning their necks to catch a glimpse of what was happening within.

The former Speaker of Parliament, Peter Ala Adjetey, who acted as the spokesperson of the visiting delegation, introduced Nana Addo to the La Mantse and his elders and asked the indigenes to receive the flagbearer as one of their own.

Nii La said he was happy to receive Nana Addo and his delegation and gave them his blessings to campaign in the town.

The La Mantse mentioned that while in the palace, he could feel the ecstasy in the town and at a point he had to ask to be certain if the jamboree and carnival taking place were all part of Nana Addo's visit.

Nii La called for special prayers to be said for Nana Addo and his team, and applauded them for the unity they had demonstrated after the NPP delegates' congress to elect a flagbearer.

From the chief's palace, the visiting delegation attended a mini rally at a popular square called 'Man Jaano' in the heart of the town.

Nana Addo, in an address dismissed the assertion that the NPP was an Akan party and one that was unfriendly to people of other ethnic backgrounds.

He described that notion as dangerous propaganda and urged the teeming crowd to eschew ethnic politics.

Nana disclosed that he was born in Swalaba in Accra and married to a Ga woman from Osu; thus there was no need to discriminate among tribes as Ghana belonged to all Ghanaians no matter their ethnic background.

He asked them to consider the background of the high-profile delegation accompanying him and the number of Gas occupying influential positions in the NPP and draw their own conclusions.

Nana Addo said the President Kufuor-led government had laid an enviable foundation and made Ghana a better place than it was in 2000, thus there was the need for that foundation to be built upon to make Ghana a better place for generations yet unborn.

He called on the people of La to vote for the NPP in both the presidential and parliamentary elections in December to enable the party continue with the good works it had started.

Other speakers at the rally included Adjiri Blankson, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Sheikh IC Quaye, Prof. Mike Oquaye, Elizabeth Sackey and Lord Commey, the NPP National Organiser.

Nana Addo, after the rally called on the various clan heads and virtually turned the town upside down by walking through the principal streets before laying a wreath at the foot of the statue of Sgt. Adjetey, a prominent La citizen who was shot during the independence struggle.

By Halifax Ansah-Addo

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