Nana Addo exchanging greetings with some of the chiefs
President-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has given a firm assurance to the people of the Western Region that he is not going to let them down when he is at the helm of the country’s socio-economic management.
He has therefore, drummed it home once again to the chiefs in the region of his commitment to fulfill all the promises he made during the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) 2016 electioneering campaign.
“I am aware of the high expectations that the people have reposed in me and my party and I want to let you know that I’m not going to let you down,” he pointed out.
He continued, “All the promises we’ve made to this region are going to be fulfilled. They were not just campaign or platform talks. We are fully committed to fulfilling them.”
Some of the promises he mentioned included the relocation of the headquarters of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to the region, the modernization of the Takoradi harbour and the construction of an accident and emergency centre for the region.
Nana Addo also mentioned the creation of the Western North Region out of the vast Western Region, which he claimed would be implemented in the coming years.
“I make this solemn pledge to you today. I will not let you down and will do all in my power to live up to your hopes and expectations,” Nana Akufo-Addo indicated.
The president-elect stated this when he paid a courtesy call on the Western Regional House of Chiefs at Sekondi on Tuesday, December 27, 2016, as part of his ‘thank you’ tour after winning the 2016 election.
He was accompanied by some national executives of the NPP, including the Acting National Chairman, Freddie Blay; the Women’s Organizer, Otiko Afisa Djaba; Acting General Secretary, John Boadu and other party bigwigs as well as the NPP’s Western Regional executives.
Nana Akufo-Addo polled 5,716,026 of the valid votes cast in the 2016 presidential election to beat incumbent President John Mahama, who had 4,713,277, as announced by Electoral Commission’s (EC’s) Chairperson Charlotte Osei.
According to EC statistics, Nana Akufo-Addo recorded 53.85% of the total votes cast as against 44.40% by President Mahama.
“I came to the Regional House on Monday, November 28 – nine days to the election day – to seek your support for the December 7 election. You welcomed me and the NPP warmly and prayed for us.
“It appears the Almighty God heard your prayers. On the 9th of December, 2016, the EC chairperson declared me and the NPP victors of the general election,” Nana Akufo-Addo stated.
He indicated that he was in the House to thank the chiefs for the extraordinary support they gave him which ensured his victory and that of the NPP’s.
The president-elect noted that his victory was not for just the New Patriotic Party, but for the entire nation and promised to serve without discriminating against anyone, regardless of their backgrounds.
Commending the people of the region for the confidence reposed in him, Nana Akufo-Addo stated, “In 2012 we had 8 out of the 26 seats; today we have 16 and there are two we are contesting for; they include Suaman and Juaboso.
“In 2012, the NPP flagbearer received 43.8 per cent of the popular votes, but in 2016 the party’s presidential candidate had a little over 52 per cent.”
Nana Addo promised the chiefs that his administration would restore integrity in the governance of the country and asked them not to hesitate to advise him when they sense that he is going wrong.
He assured people in the region that his government would leverage the monies the area brings into the national exchequer, especially from oil, to rehabilitate and complete the Western rail lines.
“So I came to thank you and to reiterate my determination to implement policies to develop the region. But in all these, I will need your full support, both physical and spiritual,” Nana Addo underscored.
The president of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, on behalf of the chiefs, assured the president-elect that they would support the next NPP government to succeed.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi