Yagaba (N/R), July 17, GNA- Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, flag bearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), on Thursday said Ghanaians had firm trust in the NPP and were optimistic about the policy directions and determination to bring the needed development to the people. He said in less than eight years into taking the reigns of the country, the NPP had undertaken massive development projects. Nana Akufo-Addo said these while addressing a number of rallies on the second day of his four-day campaign tour of the Upper East Region to canvas for votes for the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

At Yagaba and Loagri in the "Overseas area" of the Northern Region, he was given a rousing welcome by the people and chiefs amidst drumming and dancing.

The NPP presidential aspirant told the people that the NPP was keen at ensuring that the citizenry had access to affordable quality healthcare irrespective of which part of the country they came from or political divide they belonged.

Nana Akufo-Addo said the NPP Government had provided exemplary leadership in governance, adding that he was confident that Ghanaians would vote massively for him and the party's parliamentary candidates in the 2008 Election.

He said the National Health Insurance Scheme had come to stay and that there were immediate plans to ensure that all children less than 18 years had access to the scheme free of charge.

Nana Akufo-Addo explained that children as at now were dependant on their parents who paid premiums to enable their children to benefit from the scheme.

Nana Akufo-Addo cautioned the people against uncontrolled birth despite the introduction of free medical care for pregnant women and urged them to patronize family planning methods. He promised to upgrade the health center in the Yagaba area into a hospital if voted for in the 2008 Election.

Nana Akufo-Addo indicated that the quality of human resource base of every nation was dependant on the quality of education the people acquired.

The flag bearer said government was committed to promoting education in the country and that if voted into power, he would ensure the extension of the school feeding programme to all public primary schools.

Nana Akufo-Addo said he would put in place a special scheme to admit qualified senior high school students from less privileged communities nationwide into tertiary institutions including the universities and polytechnics. He addressed similar rallies at Fumbisi, Kanjaga, Gbedema, Wiaga and Sandema all in the Builsa District of the Upper East Region, visiting the chiefs to pay homage to them. At Fumbisi, Mr. Yaw Osafo-Marfo, former Minister of Finance, said he was impressed by the number of development projects going on in the Builsa district.

He said even though some people continued to vote for the National Democratic Congress, (NDC), the NPP believed in treating people in every part of the country fairly. Mr. Osafo-Marfo asked the people to compare development projects by NPP to the work of the NDC. He said Ghanaians had made the necessary comparison between NPP and NDC and concluded that the NDC could not be compared to the NPP in terms of good policies and development.

Mr. Osafo-Marfo urged the people of the region to change their voting pattern in favour of the NPP and said the NDC had been rejected by Ghanaians and was not coming back to power. Other people who addressed the rallies included, Mr. Allan Kyeremanteng a leading member of the party, Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister for Women and Children Affairs, Mrs. Agnes Chigabatia, Member of Parliament for Builsa North and deputy Upper East Regional Minister, the Builsa North NPP parliamentary candidate, Mr. Daniel Kojo Akaachobli among others. 17 July 08