Fiapre (B/A) Sept. 1, GNA - A large crowd of supporters and activists of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the weekend defied a heavy downpour to give a rousing welcome to Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo, the party's flag-bearer at Fiapre, near Sunyani in the Brong-Ahafo Region. Clad in party paraphernalia, the euphoric crowd held processions through the principal streets of the town amidst drumming and dancing the "kangaroo dance" to kick-start the flag-bearer's seven-day tour of the region.

Addressing the rallies at Nsoatre and Fiapre, Nana Akuffo-Addo said the Kufuor government had laid a solid foundation in the country's reconstruction process and it was incumbent on Ghanaians to retain the NPP to enable the party to complete its development agenda. The presidential aspirant explained that sound educational system was very paramount in nation building and that his administration would extend the capitation grant to second cycle institutions.

"We want to banish illiteracy in the country," he said, adding that his government would ensure that all basic schools would enjoy the school feeding programme.

Nana Akuffo-Addo expressed the need to construct modern provincial airports and railways to pave the way for trade and industry to flourish.

At Nsoatre, the NPP presidential hopeful expressed appreciation for the impressive turnout of the people at the rally, as the area was noted as a stronghold of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). Nana Akuffo-Addo said the time had come for the people of the area to recognise and appreciate the achievements of the NPP government and that they should reciprocate the gesture by voting massively for the party in December.

He later introduced Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Regional Minister as the parliamentary candidate for Sunyani West and appealed to the people to vote massively for him.

Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama who later joined Nana Akuffo-Addo at Fiapre noted that Fiapre had been a stronghold of the NPP since 1992 and urged the people to vote for the party to demonstrate to the opposition NDC that Brong-Ahafo was still a strong base of NPP. 1 Sept. 08