President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday appealed to Ghanaians to accept harsh economic policies to be introduced by his government in good faith. This, he said, is the only way the huge debts it has inherited from the erstwhile NDC government could be repaid to resuscitate the country\'s economy.

President Kufuor was addressing Asanteman Council at the Manhyia Palace when he began a three-day official visit to Kumasi, which is in appreciation of the massive votes cast for the NPP in both the parliamentary and presidential elections last December, which were won by the party.

Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, and Mr Alex Kwaku Korankye, MP for Asante-Akim South, met the President by mid-morning at Dadieso, a boundary town between the Eastern and Ashanti Regions.

Schoolchildren with miniature Ghana flags waved as they lined up the street to welcome President Kufuor as he rode in an open Landcruiser and waved to the teeming crowd of party supporters who cheered all the way to Kumasi.

The crowd was so thick that a long convoy, including Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Vice-President, and some ministers of state and members of the executive council of the party was forced to move at snail pace.

The convoy made whistle stops at Asankare, Juaso Junction, Konongo and Ejisu where President Kufuor and his entourage exchanged greetings with the chiefs and people at a durbar held in his honour.

The crowd from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Junction to Anloga Junction was overwhelming and security personnel had a hectic time controlling them.

At the Manhyia Palace, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, said chiefs must complement government\'s efforts at accelerating the socio-economic development of the country.

He said the numerous problems facing the country in education, health, housing, provision of potable water, electricity and employment, especially for the youth, required the collective efforts of all and sundry.

The Asantehene said this called for honesty, patience, truth, unity and co-operation from all Ghanaians. Otumfuo Osei Tutu said for peace to prevail to enable the government

to perform better required a positive change in the attitude of the people, who must also be law-abiding.

He said chiefs have a unique role to ensure that the numerous chieftaincy and land disputes within their jurisdiction are resolved to enable them to make land available to the people to undertake cottage industries and other businesses.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu asked ministers of state to avoid tendencies that would bring the government into disrepute and be more humble and truthful to the people and the government.

\"The people are looking up to you and President Kufuor on how best the power given to you could be utilised for their benefit to improve their standard of living.\"

President Kufuor ended the first day of his visit to Kumasi with a visit to his family house at Apagyafiem.

He will attend a thanksgiving service at the Saint Peter\'s Catholic Cathedral on Sunday and participate in the Akwasidae festival celebration.