Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has implored the people of the Upper East Region to refrain from what he described as "one way voting", and vote for the NPP in the December general election in order to be part of the party's victory. He said since 1992, the people of the region have being voting for the opposition parties, and not the NPP, and urged them to "vote the other way round, after voting one way round during the last three elections". Speaking to party supporters in Bolgatanga as part of his four-day tour of the region, the flag-bearer said in 2000 and 2004, the party won power without the support of the people of Upper East Region, except for some small votes which were insignificant to the party's total victory. Nana Addo Dankwa said majority of Ghanaians have made up their minds to retain the NPP in power for a third time, and therefore urged the people of Upper East to be party of the victory of the party in December. According to him, it had been a big task since the colonial era to close the development gap between the South and the North, and that it was time for the gap to be closed. This, he said could only be done when he was elected into power as President. He promised that his government would mechanize farming and empower farmers to make the north the bread basket of the sub region. In order to make agriculture all year round in the three northern regions, Nana Addo said he would introduce extensive irrigation projects in these regions by employing the technology of rainwater harvesting being practiced in Burkina Faso for irrigation purposes. Pumps and boreholes would also be provided for same purposes. He said his government would also introduce vocational and technological training for the youth in agriculture, as well as introduce Colleges of Agriculture to get the needed skills for the transformation of the North. The flag-bearer said all these policies and programmes to be implemented under his term, would be supported by Northern Development Authority (NDA), which would be introduced when he is elected President. The authority would ensure that the development gap between the south and the north was closed. Its Executive Director would report directly to the presidency to lead the process of transforming the north. The allocation of GH¢25,OOO.OO in the 2007 budget as seed money for development of the North, would be increased to one billion cedis, under the proposed NDA, and also attract three to four billion cedis from the private sector. Nana Addo Dankwa asked the people to look at what the NPP government has done, what it could do, and what it was going to do, saying that anybody who is truthful will see that Ghana is moving forward. He mentioned the free primary education and the National Health Insurance Scheme as some of the good policies of the NPP, and said his government would offer Ghanaians free education at the Senior High School level and later at the University level. According to him, the greatest asset of the country was its youth and when voted into power, he would do everything possible to propel their welfare, through free and compulsory education. The flag bearer alleged that some people in the opposition parties were specialized in what he called divide and rule politics, but what the NPP was doing was unite and rule. Nana Addo gave the assurance that the government would support the Electoral Commission to organise free and fair elections. Some members of his entourage included Yaw Osafo Marfo, Alan Kyerematen and Dan Botwe, all contenders in last year's Presidential primary, and Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of Women and Children's Affairs, Rita Asobayire, National Women's organiser. Alhaji Bamba of Nasara Club. Source: The Chronicle