The flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo says he will increase the number of policemen in the country to 50,000.

He said the current 22,000 police force will be increased and better resourced to tackle the challenges of security facing the country.

“The public deserves a police service that is friendly, effective and efficient”, he said.

Nana Akufo-Addo said this when he took his turn at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA's) forum for presidential candidates to outline their programmes before the 2008 elections.

Fighting crime for him was a top priority because he wants to build a country where citizens are free to move about and conduct their business without fear.

Education

"Quality education ladies and gentlemen, is fundamental to a modern society and we will implement the new education policy by focusing on quality and putting the teacher at the center of the whole process".

He said he will establish one university in every region in Ghana to expand the infrastructure to enable many more people to attain university education.

The University for Development Studies which has three campuses in Tamale, Navrongo and Wa will also be strengthened.

“Government will absorb additional user fees for science students to encourage the studying of science”, he said.

According to him, free secondary education which will cost about 75m Ghana cedis will be made compulsory.

Teacher training colleges in the country will be upgraded to tertiary levels to train teachers who will be capable of implementing the education reforms.

The school feeding programme he stated will be expanded to enable parents send their children to school.

The former Foreign Minister said he was committed to ensuring that the gap in education between the north and south was bridged.

Nana Akufo-Addo also touched on decentralisation saying the District Assembly Common Fund will be increased from five per cent to 10 per cent.

That, he said will enable district assemblies to undertake development projects for the benefit of the majority of the people.

On the thorny issue of drugs, the NPP flag bearer said he will collaborate with agencies in the United States and the United Kingdom in the fight against the menace.

Corruption he noted will be fought relentlessly adding "I will fight corruption vigorously”.

He said he will strengthen institutions charged with fighting corruption.

Passage of the Freedom to Information Bill he emphasised will be fast-tracked to help in the fight against corruption.

Economy

Nana Addo said he was committed to developing a modern society where the economy will grow at 10 per cent.

He said under his presidency, the time for processing business applications will be reduced which will also reduce the time for doing business in Ghana.

The government, according to him, will irrigate three northern regions of the country and the Accra plains to increase food production and reduce hunger in the country.

Nana Addo said the North was capable of being the bread basket of West Africa and will be developed to do that.

He pledged to use his understanding of both French and English to fast-track regional integration to create market for Ghanaian products.

The Abuakwa South Member of Parliament said adding value to the country’s raw materials will be pursued vigorously.

He said Ghana’s development will remain at a subsistence level unless value addition was taken seriously.

“I will be action oriented, demanding results, chasing progress and reject bureaucracy”, he noted.

Accommodation

	Hon. Boniface Saddique, Prof Daniel Adzei Bekoe and Rt. Hon Peter Ala Adjetey were among the crowd that listened to Nana Addo at the IEA encounter

Nana Akufo-Addo said the situation where many Ghanaians lived in deplorable unplanned areas was unacceptable.

"In our cities too many of our citizens live in substandard dwellings in unplanned neighbouhoods and it has become routine for people to build dwellings for miles and miles in unplanned areas without any space reserved for schools, hospitals and public parks", he stated.

He said Ghana under his presidency will pursue aggressively the agenda of providing decent accommodation for the citizenry.

He said he will enforce zoning regulations where towns and cities will be properly planned with provisions made for parks, schools and other recreational facilities.

"We cannot be a modern society when many of our citizens are not adequately housed and urban dwellers pay rents with advances that make it difficult for young people to start life independent of their parents" he added.

According to him, 50, 000 housing units per year will be constracted at the cost of 20m Ghana cedis.

Real estate developers will also be supported to construct affordable houses to augment the efforts of government.

Sanitation will be a priority with 20, 000 sanitation inspectors being put in place to deal with the problem of sanitation.

The NPP flag bearer called on all Ghanaians to contribute to making this year’s elections a success since the eyes of the world were on Ghana.

Asked whether the incarceration of former CEO of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation Tsatsu Tsikata in the absence of his lawyer amounted to a violation of his human rights, Nana Addo, himself a Constitutional lawyer said it was legally acceptable for the court to take its decisions in the absence of defence counsels.

He said the trial judge in the case, Mrs Justice Henritta Abban was a respected member of the bench.

Nana Akufo-Addo said he did not think the judge would take any reckless decision being a refined criminal lawyer herself.

He noted however that if the decision of the court violated Mr. Tsikata's human rights, "that was unfortunate because the courts in our country should protect our rights and not violate them".

On his choice of running mate, Nana Akufo-Addo said he has no problem choosing a female running-mate.

He said decision as to who to choose was however the preserve of his party.

The NPP flag bearer expressed his commitment to ensuring that the agenda of women at all levels of the society was pushed forward.



Story by Malik Abass Daabu