General News of Thursday, 15 January 2009

Source: GNA

Stop harassing our supporters - Nana Addo

Wa, Jan. 15, GNA - Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo -Addo, Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has appealed to President John Evans Atta Mills and the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to advise their supporters to stop harassing supporters of the NPP.

He said it was worrying to see that more than 300 NPP supporters in Accra had been displaced, some vehicles seized and certain public toilets taken over by NDC supporters in Ashiaman. He expressed regret that supporters of the NPP had been subjected to harassment and violence, warning that "this arbitrary governance should not be allowed in Ghana".

Nana Akufo-Addo was addressing NPP supporters at the Wa Senior High School as part of his one -day visit to the Upper West Region to thank the people for the support they gave to the NPP to win three seats and also increasing the popular votes in the 2008 polls. He said the more some group of people were singled out and subjected to harassment and violence, the more the nation would be polarized.

He therefore urged the NDC to call its supporters to order to give peace a chance for development.

"It is my desire and that of the NPP to offer ideas and contribute to the development and welfare of Ghanaians, and urged the NDC to also play its role appropriately to ensure the realisation of the needs and aspirations of the people," Nana Akufo-Addo said.

On the chances of the NPP winning power in the next elections, Nana Akufo-Addo said future prospects of the party were brighter than before, pointing out that the future belongs to the NPP.

He however admitted that for that future to be secured, supporters of the party needed to remain united, calm, law abiding and peaceful in their activities.

Mr Yaw Osafo Marfo, a leading member of the NPP said the party would not allow the issues it raised about the harassment of its agents and supporters in the Volta Region to be swept under the carpet. "We will pursue it to the logical conclusion to ensure that future elections are conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner". Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey another leading member of the party urged supporters of the NPP to work harder than before to win more people for the party to enable it come back to power in the 2012 elections.