Red Carpet For Nana• At Afram Plains

FLAGBEARER OF the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was greatly overwhelmed by the support given him at Afram Plains on the second day of his Eastern regional tour.

Nana's entourage which was crossing the Afram River on a pontoon was surrounded by boats carrying enthusiastic supporters who 'guided' it ashore on the other side of the river at Ekye Amanfrom where supporters had gathered drumming and singing to welcome him.

Nana's first task was to open a well furnished NPP office at Ekye Amanfrom where he addressed supporters and later called on the chief of the town.

An elated Nana Akufo-Addo told the enthusiastic crowd that “surely the NPP is moving forward” and said he was greatly overwhelmed by the support he had received.

“I quite remember in 1992 I was the campaign manager of Professor Adu Boahen like what Dr. Apraku is doing for me now and when we came here we were chased by stone-throwing youth while guns were shot in the air indiscriminately to scare us away but now we are being warmly received with such pomp and pageantry,” he said to a loud response of "Yempe ehe edzo bodoo bio" from the supporters, meaning "we don't like the National Democratic Congress (NDC) again".

Nana Akufo-Addo said he was happy that the people in the area have seen the good works of the NPP government.

“We as a government have never discriminated against any group of people and spread development projects fairly across the country,” he added.

He said any party that uses the tribal card in its electioneering campaign can never unite the people of this country, stressing that the NPP has always preached unity and oneness as Ghanaians.

Nana told the people, who are mostly migrants from the Volta and Northern regions that anybody who comes to tell them that the NPP is an Akan party must be ignored since such a person would be using that propaganda for his selfish interest.

He indicated that during the NPP's short term in office it has been able to construct the only road linking Kwahu South and the Afram Plains.

“The Afram Plains is the principal beneficiary of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) which would be used to boost agriculture, build more feeder roads and transform the economy of the district which is a major breadbasket of the country,” he indicated.

According to Nana Akufo-Addo, the government would also add two more pontoons to the current one at Ekye Amanfrom to the boost water transport in the district.

He promised also that his government will build food depots in the area to store excess food for the lean season and give farmers guaranteed prices.

“We want to treat maize and yam growers like cocoa farmers when I assume office,” he contended.

The chiefs and people at Ekye Amanfrom appealed to Nana Akufo-Addo to solve their water problem when he becomes the next president of Ghana.

At Kwaekese near Donkokrom which is also an NDC stronghold, the chief and people were very receptive of Nana's entourage and asked the NPP flagbearer to help extend electricity to the town before the December elections, adding that that would translate into votes for the party.

From Thomas Fosu Jnr., Ekye Amanfrom