The 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says the culture where people choose politics as a money-making venture will be fought and defeated under his administration.

According to him, the motive is frustrating the development of the country and breeding poverty.

He has, therefore, issued a warning to members of the NPP desirous of serving in his government that he would only work with people committed to working to enriching the lives of Ghanaians, and not people who wish to create, loot and share the scarce resources of the country.

“Public office is no longer going to be the platform for the brazen theft of public funds. Public service is going to be just that, public service. I have said it before, and I will repeat it. Those who are coming into office, if we win, must understand that they are coming to give public service. Those who are coming there to make money must stay in the private sector,” he reiterated.

Talking about corruption, he reiterated his commitment to appointing “an Independent Special Prosecutor with a legislative mandate to deal with corruption, who will be appointed and empowered to tackle corruption.”

The main preoccupation of his government, therefore, he said, will be to “build a Ghana where there are jobs for our young people, where our people do not defecate in the open, a Ghana which is fit for the 21st century.”

He assured Ghanaians that the NPP has the “vision and the programme of action that will address the concerns of the vast majority of Ghanaians, around which we can inspire the rapid development of our nation.”

Nana Akufo-Addo made this known when he addressed a fundraising dinner organized in London by the UK branch of the Young Executive Forum of the NPP on Friday, June 10, 2016.

NPP ready for election 2016
Nana Akufo-Addo told the gathering that the spirit and morale of the NPP at the grassroots is unmatched, evidenced in the vigilance displayed by party officials in the limited voter registration exercise.

“The NPP is ready for the big task ahead and we’re not going to permit twenty seven zero to happen. We are going to do whatever is legitimately possible to effect the change that Ghanaians need,” he said.

And for that change, he appealed for the unalloyed support of all NPP members, both in and out of Ghana, stating that victory in this year’s elections will not be for him, or for party members, but for Ghanaians.

“Let us all work together and put our shoulders to the wheel. Let us be the generation that sets Ghana on the road to progress and prosperity. That prosperity is within our grasp,” he added.

On what remains his motivation for contesting for the Presidency, he explained that "I want, one day, in our grandchildrens’ time, when things are going well and they are writing the history of Ghana that they will say it was in our grandparents' time when Akufo-Addo was President that Ghana was put on the road to progress and prosperity. That is what I am fighting for."

Present at the event were wife of the NPP flagbearer, Rebecca Akufo-Addo; NPP UK Branch Chairman, Michael Ansah, and branch executives; UK YEF Chairman, Alex Dadey; NPP Holland Branch Chairman, Kwame Prempeh; NPP Member of Parliament for Asante Akim Central, Hon. Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi; NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako; NPP parliamentary candidate for Asuogyaman, Kwame Adu Darkwa; NPP parliamentary candidate for Subin, Eugene Antwi; and a large, enthusiastic crowd of Ghanaians resident in the UK.