I will build Ghana bottom-up - Akufo-Addo

The 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says the policies and programmes outlined by him so far are indicative of the fact that a future NPP government, God-willing from January 2017, will employ the “bottom-up” approach to national development.

The bottom-up approach, according to Nana Akufo-Addo, means that local actors will participate in decision-making, and in the selection of the priorities to be pursued in their communities. This, he noted, will achieve balanced national development, creating wealth and prosperity for all Ghanaians, without discrimination.

“We are going to build our country … bottom-up; that is why we’re talking ‘1-District-1-Factory’, ‘1-Village-1-Dam’. We’re building Ghana … bottom-up, so that we can get everybody involved.

The NPP flag bearer made this known when he addressed a rally in the Bunkpurugu constituency, in the Northern Region, on Tuesday, August 30, 2016, at the commencement of his 4-day tour of the region.

At the same rally, the party’s vice presidential nominee, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, also unveiled the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), which seeks to draw US$275 million per year from the nation’s capital expenditure budget, out of which each of the 275 constituencies will receive the equivalent of US$1 million each per year, to tackle issues relating to infrastructural development and poverty eradication in rural and deprived communities across the country.

With thousands defying the rain to listen to Nana Akufo-Addo’s message of hope, the NPP flag bearer assured residents of Bunkpurugu and its environs that he would address the concerns put forward by the Paramount Chief, Alhaji Naba Abuba Nasimong.

The Bunkpurugu Chief, in his interaction with Nana Akufo-Addo, stated that they wanted their deplorable roads leading to and within Bunkpurugu constructed; the conversion of an inadequate clinic into a district hospital to serve more effectively the health needs of the people of the Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo district; and a refurbishment of the rundown secondary schools in the area. He stressed that the needs outlined were for the improvement of the living conditions of his people and not for his own benefit.

The NPP flag bearer assured residents that: “I commit myself that if God favours me in December, we’re going to do to all these things to bring up Bunkpurugu”.

With this year’s election being his third attempt at the Presidency, Nana Akufo-Addo appealed for the support of residents, stating that: “I want your support so we can go into Jubilee House and bring prosperity to all parts of Ghana. Ghana is not a poor country. We are not a poor people. It is poor government that has brought us to where we are. We are looking to come to office to put in place policies that will bring about the revival of our nation, and, for that, we need your support so that in December this year, all of us will say to John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic, goodbye.”

Nana Akufo-Addo also visited the Nalerigu/Gambaga constituency, where he appealed for the support of the Nayiri, the great and highly respected King of Mamprugu, Naa Bohogu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, and also urged residents to elect Hajia Alima Mahama as their Member of Parliament, so as to help bring into fruition the NPP’s programme of development for the constituency.

The NPP flag bearer’s final stop was at midnight, in the Walewale constituency, where he addressed residents of Kparigu, assuring them that his government will help establish a watermelon processing factory in the district, which, will amongst others, help create jobs and bring prosperity to the district.

“I am not one to make promises I know I cannot keep, all in the name of getting votes. I have too much love and respect for Ghanaians to make promises which I cannot fulfill. I will never do that,” he said.