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02.12.2004 Politics

Big Welcome For Mills At Kpassa

02.12.2004 LISTEN
By Graphic

Graphic -- A big crowd on Monday besieged the principal streets and rally grounds at Kpassa in the Nkwanta North Constituency of the Volta Region to cheer and welcome Prof John Evans Atta Mills,the National Democratic Congress presidential candidate to the town.

People abandoned their work while vehicular traffic came to a standstill, when the Prof Mills entourage announced their presence with honking and tooting of horns, and residents trooped to the rally ground to catch a gimpse of the NDC presidential candidate.

The crowd sat on trucks, trees, storey buildings and rooftops and also covered every inch of space on the rally ground.Addressing the crowd, Prof Mills said the signs were crystal clear that the NDC was poised for victory, and was cruising surely to the top.

He said following the inability of the NPP administration to fulfil its promises, Ghanaians could safely bank on the goodwill and proven record of the NDC to deliver the goods. He stressed that Kpassa would be connected to the national grid, if the NDC assumed power after the December 7 elections.

He pointed out that it was the NDC government that provided Kpassa with solar energy system. According to Prof. Mills, the NDC also provided poles ready to connect electricity to the town but the NPP government abandoned the poles when it assumed office.Touching on education, Prof Mills said an NDC government would absorb part of the SSS fees to relieve parents of the burden of paying the full fees.

He advised voters not to sell their voter ID cards to unscrupulous persons and that they should rather guard them jealously against any abuse.The NDC presidential candidate further assured Ghanaians that his administration would ensure that the national cake was equitably and fairly distributed.

He said each part of the country would receive its fair share of development projects.“Never would development projects become conditional for votes or punishment for loss of votes in an area”, he stressed. At a rally at Dambai in the Krachi East Constituency, Professor Mills outlined proactive policies to improve upon the welfare of teachers and revamp education in the country.

He said the NDC would introduce a teachers' education bill and form a teachers council to cater for the welfare of teachers.According to him, the NDC was committed to ensuring that teachers had a special package in terms of accommodation,incentives and motivation.

He noted that “we could never build a prosperous and viable society without giving teachers their due”. Prof Mills pointed out that one of the reasons why education was not progressing in the country was that the NPP government misused and misapplied the GETFund.

He, therefore, promised Ghanaians that an Atta Mills government would not misuse the proceeds from the GETFund. He expressed concern that the Kufuor administration did not care about the conditions and welfare of teachers. He also noted with concern that the fishing industry had collapsed.

He said that fishermen could not afford to pay the ¢25 million up-front for outboard motors. According to Prof Mills, under the NDC government fishermen were allowed to pay part of the amount and the rest spread over a period of time.

The NDC presidential candidate further said he was not perturbed by the mudslinging on him in some of the newspapers.“The reason why l do not respond to such baseless accusations is that l was brought up to be tolerant and respect the democratic process”, he emphasised.

“ My major aim in politics is to do something to benefit children who are the future leaders “, he noted. He also said that Ghanaians had the right to choose any political party and nobody had the right to dictate to them.

Prof Mills further noted that he was looking for an opportunity to debate pressing national issues with President Kufuor.He emphasised that it was unfortnate that President Kufuor failed to attend the last meet-the-press session.

Prof Mils introduced the parliamentary candidates for Krachi East, Mr Wisdom Gidisu, to the people. The Regional Chairman of the NDC, Mr Modestus Ahiable, said the NPP administration had not brought any development to the area.

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