The presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has promised to bring to an end the politics of tribalism that has gained root in the Ghanaian society.
According to him, his government would be one that will not discriminate against any tribe, ethnic or religious grouping in the country.
Nana Addo condemned the politics of tribalism and ethnicity being waged continuously by President John Mahama in his campaign in the North, with some few days to the conduct of the December 7 elections.
He stated that all of his adult life has been spent fighting for the progress of the Ghanaian people, without recourse to ethnicity, colour or tribe.
“I fought Acheampong’s Union Government, Acheampong was an Ashanti, but it didn’t make any difference to me. I thought the Union Government was a bad idea and I opposed it.
“I opposed PNDC under Rawlings, who is an Ewe, because I thought military government is not good for Ghana. I am tribal blind, I am colour blind. It is Ghana which is my interest,” he added.
Nana Akufo-Addo was addressing NPP supporters and sympathizers at the party’s Upper West Regional Rally held at the Tendamba JSH Park in Wa.
The NPP flagbearer assured the gathering that the ‘new Ghana’ under his leadership will be one of a “United Ghana, where all the people of Ghana will be together as one indissoluble link.
We don’t want a situation where tribe is set against tribe, North is set against South. That is the politics of yesterday. That is the politics of reaction.
“We are moving forward into a new destiny, a destiny which has a united Ghana being able to afford a good standard of living for all Ghanaians. We are going to build a new civilization, a new Ghanaian civilization which is going to be the light of Africa and the wonder of the world.
“We, here in Ghana, are capable of it. Our destiny, the destiny of the Black Star, beckons us, as we try to forge a new future of progress and prosperity for our people,” he said.
Nana Addo also reinforced the ‘one village one dam’ policy that is to help the three northern regions become self-sufficient in food production and even become an exporter of food to the sub-region.
Nana Akufo-Addo stated that the National Health Insurance Scheme, the School Feeding Programme, the Free Maternal Care, the Capitation Grant, the National Youth Employment Programme, Metro Mass Transit, Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) and MASLOC amongst others, “came from the brains of the NPP.”
It was, therefore, not a surprise to him that the NHIS under the leadership of President Mahama has collapsed.
“When the Bill for the passing of the NHIS was laid in Parliament, the NDC MPs, including the Bole/Bamboi MP, John Dramani Mahama, all walked out. They didn’t want to have anything to do with it. I’m not surprised that it has collapsed under them”.
The Ghanaian people like the NHIS, it’s a good idea and God-willing when I get the chance I am going to make sure it works for the people of Ghana,” he assured.
Having already announced the ‘1-District-1-Factory’ policy, ‘1-Village-1-Dam’ policy, the diversification of the country’s agriculture, the effective implementation of the Free SHS policy, the setting up of an Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), the restoration of teacher and nursing training allowances, amongst others, Nana Akufo-Addo indicated that “all these will allow the progress of our people to continue.
“So I am not perturbed when I hear them saying we are making promises. We will make promises that we can deliver on and that will help the people of Ghana.”
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