Tongo (U/East), Oct. 27, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday called on members, supporters and sympathizers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to bury all differences that emerged among them during the primaries and work in unity for a resounding victory in Election 2004.

"The primaries are over and belong to the past. Let us stand united now and work in harmony for victory in December," he declared. President Kufuor was addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of the Talensi Traditional Area at Tongo on the final day of his three-day official tour of the Upper East Region.

He pledged the Government's continued support for the development of the newly created Talensi-Nabdam District, which has its capital at Tongo.

Responding to issues raised in connection with the reactivation of the Pwalugu Tomato Factory, President Kufuor indicated that Government's current focus laid in the development of the private sector and would, therefore, not get involved in any of the old state owned enterprises, which were billed for divestiture.

He urged the district assemblies and the local communities to get organized and take up ownership of the factory on private basis. He announced the Government's plans to develop the Tongo shrine site as a major tourists centre.

President Kufuor introduced Madam Mary Adukuma, NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Talensi Constituency to the gathering and urged the people to elect her to Parliament for the rapid development of the area. Earlier in a welcoming speech, the Tongo Rana Kwaadan III, Paramount Chief of the area, commended the Government for the freedom of speech and the relative peace prevailing in the country.

The Tongo-Rana appealed for the construction of dams for irrigation, extension of power supply to the Gbeogo School for the Deaf and the upgrading of the Tongo Health Centre to District Hospital. President Kufuor ended his three-day tour to the Region after addressing a durbar of the chiefs and people of the Bolgatanga traditional area at Bolgatanga.

He gave the assurance that the second mandate of the NPP would bring more prosperity and freedom to Ghana.

President Kufuor said there would be much quality in education and health care delivery and called for total support for Government's policies that would be introduced.

He said offices would be provided for all decentralized departments to befit the new municipal status of Bolgatanga.

The Bolga-Naba, Martin Adongo Abilba III, commended the Government for the numerous development projects it had undertaken within the traditional area since 2001. He pledged the commitment of the people to work hard to sustain the Bolgatanga Municipality. The Bolga-Naba appealed for the upgrading of the abandoned Bolgatanga Polyclinic to improve health care delivery to the people. He called for more offices for all the decentralized departments to work effectively and efficiently for the Municipality. 27 Oct. 04