Politics of Monday, 4 August 2014

Source: Press Office - Nana Akufo-Addo

I Am For 'One Ghana', Akufo-Addo Declares

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured the nation that a government under his leadership will be committed to building a society of opportunities for all, as it is the path to ensuring progress and prosperity in Ghana.

"I am committed to One Ghana", Nana Akufo-Addo declared, adding that two burning ambitions fueling his drive to lead this country are "the future cohesion and unity of Ghana, and secondly, ensuring that the development gap between the North and South is bridged."

Akufo-Addo made this known when he rounded up his tour of the Upper West Region, on Friday evening, addressing a packed hall of delegates at the GNAT Hall, Wa.

According to Nana Akufo-Addo, the cause of Ghana's current predicament is bad leadership, as Ghanaians have lost faith in the ability of President Mahama and his National Democratic Congress government.

"What Ghana is looking for is a competent and experienced team, under a decisive leader to put Ghana back on track. Ghanaians want a good government. God willing and with the people of Ghana consenting, I can assemble such a formidable team that will make Ghana work again," Nana Addo noted.

Touching on the "sad SADA story", Nana Akufo-Addo recalled how then vice presidential candidate of the NDC, in 2008, and now President Mahama, bastardised him when he advocated the setting up of the Northern Development Authority (NoDA), referring to Akufo-Addo's vision as "pipe dreams."

"Then candidate Mahama said I was talking from the back of my head and if I could raise $1 billion for NoDA, I should use that money to pay the VRA debt," Nana Addo recounted. He continued, "NDC, as always, saw the strength of our argument. They then changed the name and called it Savannah Accelerated Development Authority. To avoid being accused of copying, they included the northern parts of the Brong Ahafo and Volta regions."

Nana Akufo-Addo stressed that SADA has become "one of the biggest tragedies of modern Ghana", adding that "it has become a vehicle of widespread corruption and theft of state property."

He assured the delegates that the modernisation and transformation of the North is an important vision of his, and will come into fruition when he is given the mandate by Ghanaians to lead the country.

Akufo-Addo reiterated his commitment to serving the Ghanaian people, and ensuring the wellbeing of the Ghanaian is uplifted, stressing that "I am in not politics to make money for myself or to enrich myself."