The flag-bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, began his campaign tour of the Eastern Region on Friday with a call on members and supporters of the party to conduct their campaign activities devoid of violence and tension in the run up to the December elections. He said violence could not bring any party to power because the people of Ghana “are now conversant with choosing a leader who in their estimation can improve their lot through the ballot than any other means”. Nana Akufo-Addo, who addressed separate rallies at Nsawam and Suhum Lorry Parks, said the NPP needed no violence to maintain it in power because the good works of “President Kufuor had already won the elections for the Party”. He told the thousands of supporters who welcomed him at Nsawam and Suhum that violence and tribalism were not part of the NPP’s agenda in campaigning for power and advised them to tell the good story of the government to people in opposition to change their minds to join the NPP. Nana Akufo-Addo said the best party to move Ghana to the middle income level was NPP and Ghanaians should not allow themselves to be deceived by the “NDC through unsubstantiated lies it has resorted to in order to score cheap political points”. He reiterated his vision of institutionalizing a pension scheme for cocoa farmers and making secondary education free adding that this was feasible considering the several policies President Kufuor had implemented to improve the wellbeing of the people. Mr Yaw Osafo Marfo, former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning said the NDC manifesto contained nothing yet they claimed they had the best policies to move Ghana forward. He said Ghanaians should not make a mistake to vote the NDC back to power because “if after 19 years the state of Ghana was nothing to write home about it is clear that even eight years under the Constitution will not be sufficient for them”. Mr Osafo Marfo, also the MP for Akyem Oda said some comments of the NDC was “amusing” and urged Ghanaians to begin to analyze objectively the political trend and vote wisely. Ms Grace Omaboe, popularly called Maame Dorkono, said the NPP was the only party that could guarantee freedom for women and children and called on women to rally behind the NPP to retain power in the coming elections. She told the gathering that she was once an NDC member but upon objective and critical considerations she had come to realize that the NPP had kept faith with Ghanaians and improve their wellbeing hence her coming to join the party. She therefore asked all well-meaning Ghanaians who wanted to see Ghana “move forward irrespective of the political background to be sincere and vote for the NPP which has what it takes to move the nation forward”. Source: GNA