Bawku (U/E), Nov. 21, GNA - Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), on Thursday said he would prove sceptics wrong and bridge the development gap between the Northern and Southern parts of Ghana, if elected president of Ghana.

The NPP presidential candidate said despite the detractive tendencies of his political opponents concerning his vision, he would unconditionally bridge the gap between the north and south if given the chance to rule the country.

Nana Akufo-Addo was addressing an NDC rally at Natinga at Bawku as part of his tour of the Upper East region.

He said the time had had come for the authorities to close the development gap between the north and south. Nana Akufo-Addo said this should be done through coordinated development programmes in agriculture and strengthening and expanding existing educational infrastructure to make education more accessible and attractive.

He said his proposed plan for the Northern part of Ghana would aim at encouraging the people to work in the area. Nana Akufo-Addo said " By the end of my tenure in office, it should be possible for all young people from northern Ghana to live and work in these communities in dignity and pride, instead of going to the south to work."

The NPP presidential candidate reiterated that he would expand and strengthen the Northern Development Fund by ensuring that the necessary legislative requirements were put in place. Nana Akufo-Addo said that his vision was practically achievable, "but the NDC says my ideas are big dreams in the sky. I shall prove them wrong and make them part of that dream."

Nana Akufo-Addo called on the Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, Naba Abugurago Azoka II at his palace. The presidential candidate asked the Bawku Naba to bless him to enable him to pursue his campaign tour successfully. Nana Akufo-Addo said that the security situation in the Bawku area had improved tremendously due to efforts of the paramount chief and his elders.

The presidential candidate said government was prepared to go the extra mile to ensure that there was total peace in the area. Naba Azoka expressed his gratitude to government for responding positively to demands for measures to help restore peace in area. He said the choice of Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia from northern part of Ghana as running mare to the NPP presidential candidate was a right decision.

Naba Azoka said that Nana Akufo-Addo's presence in the area would boost his chance and the chances of his parliamentary candidates in the 7 December polls.

Nana Akufo Addo visited a number of traditional areas in the Kassena-Nankana area including Manyoroand Natugnia near Navrongo. He called on the Pusiga chief, Naba Ibrahim Apkwa Akutu, who asked Nana Akufo-Addo to ensure the tarring of the Pusiga-Bawku road, construction of a police station and a separate district for the area if NPP wins Election 2008. At Tempane, Binduri and Zebilla, the chiefs expressed appreciation for the good work done so far by the NPP government. They appealed to Nana Akufo-Addo to ensure that their traditional areas get fair share of the national cake, if he elected president. Nana Akufo-Addo also addressed a rally at Garu, district capital of Garu-Tempane.

He reminded the people to consider the development projects the NPP government had brought to the area and that never in the history of that area had there been such vast and speedy development. Nana Akufo-Addo called on the people to vote massively for him and vote for Mr. Alhassan Samari, Upper East Regional Minister, and NPP parliamentary candidate for the area, to ensure uninterrupted development.

"It is time for Dominic Azumah to take a rest and make way for Samari to take the mantle," he said.