Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
The standard bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has described as unfortunate comments purportedly made by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Collins Dauda, to the effect that the NPP would discriminate against Muslims when the party is voted for in the December elections.
Alhaji Collins Dauda was reported to have cautioned Muslims in the country against voting for Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP. He was alleged to have said that the NPP expelled Muslims from Ghana through the Aliens Compliance Order.
Collins Dauda was said to have made that statement in an address to National Democratic Congress (NDC) Zongo caucus at Koforidua in the Eastern Region.
Addressing the people of Adabokrom in the Bia East constituency of the Western Region, Nana Akufo-Addo debunked the assertion and described it as untrue.
The NPP leader is in the Western Region for a five-day visit.
According to Nana Addo, such comments from the minister would not in any way help the progress of the country but would rather divide the people.
“How can NPP discriminate against Muslims when my running mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is a Muslim and the late Aliu Mahama, who was a vice president in the previous NPP regime, also a Muslim? In fact, we in NPP love Muslims.” he stressed.
He stated, “We are all Ghanaians – whether you are a Kusasi, Frafra, Dagomba, Ashanti, Akyem, Nzema or Krobo. If things go on well in the country all Ghanaians will benefit.”
He indicated that it was incumbent on the NDC to tell Ghanaians what they would do for the electorate rather than making statements that have the tendency to divide the people.
Nana Addo pointed out that the bad policies of the NDC and mismanagement of the economy had impoverished Ghanaians and appealed to the people to try the NPP this time round.
He reiterated that the NPP has men and women with proven ability who would use their expertise and economic prowess to reverse the present state of the economy.
Alan Kojo Kyerematen, a leading member of the NPP, noted that the party has the capacity to fix the deteriorated economy if voted into power.
He said the NPP, under President John Agyekum Kufuor, was able to bring the nation to a middle-income status within eight years.
He was full of hope that the enthusiasm and zeal exhibited by the supporters in the region were an indication that the NPP would win massively in the December elections.
He said however, that recapturing power from the NDC would not be an easy task and called for hard work and commitment to win the elections to liberate Ghanaians from the current hardships.
He appealed to the supporters to intensify their house-to-house campaign.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Bia East