NPP Will Go Room To Room

NATIONAL Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Mac Manu, has rubbished the house-to-house campaign strategy of Prof John Evans Atta Mills, saying it would not make any significant difference in the upcoming elections since it is evident that the candidate of the NPP is already in the lead.

Mac Manu said he was amused by Prof. Mills' house-to-house campaign since it was not vigorous enough to turn the hearts of the people to the NDC, which did not do so much during its 20 years of administration.

The NPP National Chairman, who was speaking at separate durbars at Kwame Danso in the Sene District and Yeji in the Pru District in the Brong Ahafo Region, noted that the NPP was not in the least scared of such a campaign since it had faithful foot-soldiers on the ground who could even move from room to room to woo the electorate for the elephant family.

He congratulated the foot-soldiers and urged them not to go only house to house but take the campaign as far as to the rooms of members of their communities because the 2008 contest would be a fierce one.

Mac Manu said though there was every indication that the NPP would win the elections, members needed not be complacent but rather work harder to sweep most of the parliamentary seats for the party.

“If NDC think they will win by going house to house, they amuse me because we have men on the ground who would even go from room to room,” he said teasingly.

In Techiman, the Omanhene, Oseadeayo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, observed that the era when men were turned into women was over.

“We remember there came a time in this country when men had to watch their backs as women did before they spoke. That era was over.”

The Omanhene thanked the Kufuor administration for the sound development policies, and said his area was experiencing the air of freedom that was blowing across the country which gave everyone the opportunity to express him or herself without any fear.

He recalled the culture of silence era, and noted that the NPP had brought a great change especially in the media landscape.

He reiterated his request that the law, which sought to try public officials for willfully causing financial loss to the state, be repealed.

He observed that law was bogus and needed to be repealed from the statutory books of the nation to allow public officials to execute their work without fear.

“If symptoms of one's illness persisted after taking medicine, what should one do?” Oseadeayo asked rhetorically.

For his part, the NPP presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, noted that there were waves currently blowing in the country which was called the 'Akufo-Addo waves'.

He regretted that both Techiman North and South were among the orphan constituencies which mostly had never voted for the NPP, saying though he was in the area to show himself to the chiefs and people as flag-bearer of the ruling party, he had also come to solicit the votes of the people of Techiman.

He was hopeful that the people of Techiman would not turn a blind eye or deaf ear to the current which was flowing in the country, but would join the larger family of the elephant to be among the majority.

He reminded them of the numerous benefits the area had enjoyed since the inception of the Kufuor administration, and observed that even though Techiman had never voted for the NPP, the NPP had kept faith with the people through the social amenities it had provided for them.

He mentioned that paramount among them was the elevation of Techiman to Municipal status, and hoped this would ginger the people to vote for the party.

He said if government kept its side of the bargain and rendered all the electioneering promises it made to the people of Techiman even though they did not vote in its favour, what would the NPP government not do for them if they now voted for it?

He encouraged the people that there were glorious moments ahead especially with the recent discovery of oil, adding that Ghana could expect nothing but the best under an Akufo-Addo-led government since he was going to continue with the good works of the Kufuor administration.

He introduced the NPP aspiring parliamentarians for Techiman North and South, Prof. Ameyaw Akumfi (Minister, Railways, Ports and Harbours) and Prince Yaw Donyina, DCE, Techiman Municipality respectively, to the crowd.

He intimated that he needed the two to work with in Parliament, and pleaded with the gathering to do him the honour of voting for him as well as the party's parliamentary candidates. He urged them to desist from the 'skirt and blouse' kind of voting.

Nana Akufo-Addo also cautioned the people against violent behaviours, asking them to work to protect and maintain the peace the country was currently enjoying.

The Akufo-Addo campaign team, which arrived in Techiman rather too late, met a large crowd of people who had been waiting since afternoon to catch a glimpse of the president-in-waiting and his entourage.

The rather uncontrollable crowd mostly interrupted speeches with the shouts of “yere sesem,” meaning “we are causing a change”.

Among the campaign train were Osafo Maafo, former Education, Youth and Sports Minister; Boakye Agyarko; Lawyer Nkrabea Effah Dartey, MP for Berekum; Dr. Konadu Apraku, National Campaign Director; Kwame Ampofo Twumasi, Deputy Minister for Energy; the Regional Minister, Ignatius Baffour Awuah; and Deputy Regional Minister, Nana Kwadwo Kwakye.

From Rocklyn Antonio, Kwame Danso