Akufo-Addo to improve security if elected President

Accra, June 26, GNA- Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, flag bearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the 2008 Election, on Thursday said if elected as president, national security would be his main priority.

"I will increase the number of police personnel in the country to 50, 000 within the next five years from the current 22, 000, provide modern security training and equipment to tackle the challenges of security facing the country," he stated in Accra.

Nana Akufo-Addo who was speaking at the Institute of Economic Affairs sponsored platform dubbed: "An Evening Encounter with A Presidential candidate," said the public deserves a police service that is friendly, effective, efficient and professional in their operations. The NPP flag bearer said fighting crime would be a top priority to ensure that every citizen was safe and free to move about and conduct business without fear.

On education, Nana Akufo-Addo said a next NPP regime under his Presidency would establish one University in every region in Ghana, expand infrastructure of existing tertiary institutions to enable many more people to attain high quality education.

He said the University for Development Studies, which has three campuses in Tamale, Navrongo and Wa would also be strengthened; and

"Government will absorb additional user fees for science students to encourage the studying of science."

Nana Akufo-Addo said the nation would spend about 75 million Ghana cedis to implement free compulsory secondary education programme and teacher training colleges would be upgraded to tertiary level to train more qualitative teachers who would be capable of implementing the New Education Reform.

He said the School Feeding Programme would be expanded to enable parents send their children to school.

The NPP flag bearer, who was former Foreign Minister, said he was committed to ensuring that the gap in education between the north and south in the country was bridged.

On decentralisation, Nana Akufo-Addo said the District Assembly Common Fund would be increased from five per cent to ten per cent to enable district assemblies to undertake development projects for the benefit of the majority of the people.

As the international community marks the day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, Nana Akufo-Addo said he would institute measures to collaborate with agencies in the United States and the United Kingdom in the fight against the menace.

The NPP flag bearer said he would fight corruption relentlessly adding "I will fight corruption vigorously through empowering institutions charged with fighting corruption with the needed human and material resources."

Nana Akufo-Addo also answered questions from the audience, on national reconciliation, criteria for the selection of his running mate, views on current legal debacle, unpaid salaries of newly trained teachers, maternal mortality and disability.

He was also challenged on the economy, contribution to national development, failure of the NPP in implementing provisions of the its Election 2000 manifesto especially on election of District Chief Executives, ethnic imbalances.

The orderly nature of the programme was nearly marred when some uninvited supporters of the flag bearer attempted to enter the hall for the programme.

The high profile audience in the packed hall over heard some of the supporters shouting at the top of their voice, "am a founding member of this party, you cannot deny me entry into the hall." Sanity was however restored, after about five minutes of heckling and shouting.