New Akrade -- Sheikh Awal Larry, who defected from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has advised Ghanaians not to make any mistakes by voting the NDC back to power in the 2004 general elections.

According to him, if some Ghanaians claim that they are hungry under the present government then they will starve to death should they bring the NDC back into power because it has no vision and policy with which to govern the country.

Sheikh Awal Larry gave this advice at the monthly district rally organised by the NPP at New Akrade in the Asuogyaman district over the weekend.

He reiterated that the NDC supporters who were clubbed at the congress at Legon for supporting Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, was ordered by Mr. E. T. Mensah, MP for Prampram and he is challenging him to take him to the courts.

Also he confessed that he planned and executed the beating of the TV3 crew at Nungua and other journalists in the country during the 2000 general elections.

These revelations or confessions by the NDC defector stunned some of the NPP supporters who were hearing them for the first time.

Awal Larry observed that he was blindly following “the wicked” but President J. A. Kufuor has saved him from them, likewise his other colleagues.

He called on all Ghanaians to maintain the NPP in power for it continue its good works saying “President J. A. Kufuor is the best president I have so far come across who should be allowed to continue his good works.”

The Eastern Regional Minister, Dr. Francis Osafo-Mensah, cautioned supporters against complacency and laziness in carrying out their party activities to ensure wins come the next elections.

He held that if the party supporters prevent rigging there would be no way the NDC would win the elections as they are also losing more and more of their supporters.

The general secretary of the NPP, Dan Botwe, stated that the NPP believes in free and fair elections hence it will not use its incumbency to win the next elections.

“As far as the NPP will cooperate with them, it would not allow any brutalities and rigging on the part of any opposition party. If they promise to cooperate, we will cooperate with them but if they promise confrontation, we will also confront them,” he asserted.

Mr. Botwe said with hard work from the President and his team of administrators, he is sure that Ghanaians are going to entrust in his hands the ruling of this country for another four years. The district chief executive (DCE) for Asuogyaman, Dr. Godfried Kofi Siaw, announced that since the government came to power it has constructed 11 roads, 14 schools and some boreholes in the district.

Again, he announced that under this government’s the poverty alleviation programme the district assembly has disbursed ?686 million to residents in the area, cultivated 140 acres of cassava, while 13 villages and towns have been connected to the national electricity grid.

The MP-elect, Mr. Kofi Osei, reminded residents of the numerous unfulfilled promises made by the NDC and charged them to vote him to represent them in Parliament to bring more development to the area.

He advised them to turn up in their numbers when the voter’s register is open next January and register to enable them cast their votes during the elections.

Earlier on, the Asuogyaman constituency branch of the NDC stunned the NPP supporters when they announced their presence at the rally grounds. Some of the supporters were contemplating whether they were going to cause trouble.

But they cleared the air by saying that they out of their own volition decided to attend the rally.

This really demonstrated that the NPP has opened its doors to receive everybody by accommodating the NDC at its rally at Akrade for the first time.