Mills Govt Has Failed Ghanaians - Akufo Addo

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag bearer for the 2012 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, conntends that the increasing levels of disappointment in the Mills administration has made even staunch members of the NDC to become disillusioned with how the economy is being managed.

He said governments were voted into power to solve problem and bring development to the people, but since the inception of the Mills Administration, Ghanaians had been experiencing hardship and insecurity.

Nana Akufo Addo who was speaking at the inauguration of the constituency executive of the Ablekuma South in Accra noted however, that the inability of the Mills administration to fix the economy was not a guarantee that the NPP would win the 2012 elections.

The inauguration became necessary due to legal suits and misunderstanding between the constituency executives that led to the postponement of the entire constituency elections.

Therefore, the constituency could not participate in the August congress which elected Nana Akufo Addo as the flag bearer. However, the issues were amicably settled and Mr Theophilous Ayikwei Tetteh was elected Chairman, Bernard Nii Odai Laryea, Vice Chairman; Kwesi Ofori, Second Vice and Nii Gyabaah Abbey as the Secretary.

Others who were inaugurated included 700 polling station executives, 14 area co-ordinators, nine elected executives and six appointed ones.

Nana Akufo Addo said although Ghanaians in general and NDC members had publicly expressed their frustration at the manner the economy was being run, Ghanaians electorate would bring the NPP back provided it remained united and focused.

“Ghanaians are waiting for us. Everywhere we have been, they tell us that they were waiting for 2012 to come and vote us back into power,” he said, adding that this would be possible if the NPP refrained from wranglings and unite.

He told the supporters that in 2012 the NPP would be extra vigilant and monitor every single process to ensure that there was no underhand deals in the electoral process adding that “as for the NDC we know them and we will follow them to every corner till the right thing was done”.

The NPP flagbearer commended Mr William Akapko, the former Constituency Chairman for conceding defeat and in the spirit of unity joined in the inauguration ceremony of the new administration and urged all those who have and would contest future elections to emulate his good example.

He said the party lost seats and consequently the general elections in 2008 partly because some party members who lost positions decided to either resort to undermine the new administration or sit on the fence.

The National Chairman of the party, Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, was unhappy about the language of some party members, especially in recent times and urged NPP members to see themselves as one family members who needed to channel their strength in fighting to win the 2012 and not against each other.

He said he had directed that some regional executives, particularly the Ashanti Region to take disciplinary actions against some leading members who had publicly insulted their fellow members.

The Constituency Chairman told the leadership of the party that they had decided to leave the past behind them and work hard to capture the seat which they lost to the NDC through their inability to be vigilant during the polling day among other problems.

He also urged all the members to start moving from house to house to explain the policies and programmes of the party to the people in the constituency as part of the campaign to recapture the seat.