NPP's sole enemy is poverty - Aliu

Mandari (N/R) Dec. 1, GNA - The New Patriotic Party (NPP) considers poverty as its only enemy, Vice President Aliu Mahama has declared. "We have no enemy, but poverty," he said, "Poverty is our greatest enemy that his why President Kufuor has since his first day in office not relented in tackling this foe headlong."

Vice President Mahama, who was addressing a well-attended durbar at Mandari in the Bole District, urged Ghanaians to renew the mandate of the Kufuor Administration to enable it to continue the fight to replace poverty with prosperity.

The Mandari durbar, in addition to others held in his honour at Malawe, also in the Bole District; and Tuna, Kalba and Sawla in the newly created Kalba-Tuna-Sawla District kick-started his week-long campaign tour of the Northern Region on Monday.

The Vice President explained that the Kufuor Administration realised that the best way to fight poverty was to provide infrastructure; improve the quality and access to education and health; modernise agriculture; promote good governance and support the private sector to grow.

"Through the implementation of sound economic policies, we have stabilised the economy, introduced the President's Special Initiatives (PSIs) to create jobs, built more than 700 basic school structures, imported 1,000 tractors to boost farming and secured 150 million dollars to provide telecommunications infrastructure and rehabilitated roads..." he stated.

"This is not the end but just the beginning from the journey of poverty to prosperity.

The Kufuor Administration would, therefore, return much stronger and better resourced after the December polls, he said and continue the transformation process, which would address the outstanding developmental needs of the people.

"Wherever I have been in the three northern Regions, dams, electricity and water and roads have topped the request list and we have taken note of them because they are crucial in the fight against poverty," he assured. "You need water to do serious farming and we have secured resources to build adequate dams."

Vice President Mahama who stressed the need for them to elect effective representatives to Parliament, advised the people against selling their votes, saying: "Don't sell your conscience for a pittance."

"You must rather consider the common good of your people. If you receive a piece of cloth or some money now and give your vote away, you would not solve your developmental needs because you would only see those who bought your votes after four years when there is another election."

It would, therefore, be more prudent, the Vice President said, to elect competent representatives, particularly those running on the ticket of the NPP as they shared the vision to reduce poverty with a more pragmatic and sustainable approach.

He introduced Alhaji Sulemana Adams Achanso and Yussif Justice Godwin as the NPP's candidates for Bole and Kalba Sawla constituencies respectively.

Mandariwura, J.A. Adams, commended the government for an excellent performance in its first term and wished it flying colours in the polls. Vice President Mahama also paid courtesy calls on the Bolewura and Sawlawura, who equally expressed gratitude for the development projects in their areas.