The 2012 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo has defined the values and principles of the party as encompassed in the three Fs: “Freedom, Fairness and Fraternity.” Addressing regional youth leaders of the NPP on the party’s philosophy at an ‘NPP Youth Wing Strategy Workshop’ at Tamale on Thursday, November 25, Nana Akufo-Addo described the philosophy of the NPP as the only one in the political market that is both pro-people and pro-business, i.e., the party for Ghana’s development in freedom. He also spoke on the smear campaign on his personal life conducted by his political opponents. Nana Akufo-Addo said, they know that for more than thirty years he has lived an exemplary public life in service of his nation, from a freedom fighter, lawyer, human rights activist, party organizer, Member of Parliament, Attorney-General and Foreign Minister. Since his opponents could not find any blemish there they went on to manufacture a wicked lie and accused him of being a drug addict. He gave warning that his personal life would no longer be made a football, saying that the party would hit back at those who do so. “I have never seen, tasted or sniffed cocaine before. Why are my detractors attacking my personality, saying that I am a drug addict?” Nana Akufo-Addo said the days when the NDC was allowed a virtual freehand to plant false accusations on him and other NPP leaders, including President J.A. Kufuor, are over. But, his speech was more about the values and principles of the party, which he said touch on the kose and koko (bread and butter) issues that matter to Ghanaians. “The three fundamental values of the party are freedom, fairness and fraternity.” Nana Akufo-Addo said, “the philosophy of the NPP has been adopted by our Fourth Republican Constitution and it is what is dominant in the world today. It has stood the test of time as compared to a one party state, dictatorship, the absence of rule of law, state socialism, and state ownership.” On freedom, the flagbearer said what drove the founding fathers of the party on Saturday, August 4, 1947, to form the United Gold Coast Convention was to “win back, what Dr Danquah called ‘our ancient freedom’ from foreign control and free every citizen to develop their God-given talents, enhance their human dignity and develop our nation.” He said the party believes in the freedom of the individual: including freedom from fear (with the audience adding ‘panic’), freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and free enterprise. “We believe in empowering the individual to use his or her entrepreneurial initiative to create legitimate wealth and to enjoy security of person and private property. We believe through freedom we can encourage upward mobility for everyone in society.” Nana Akufo-Addo argued that the NPP does not believe in the “discredited state socialism, where the state dictates where you sleep, where you work and what you can call your own. We believe in the state empowering the people to take decisions that enhance their wellbeing.” On fairness, he said the NPP was committed to creating a new society of opportunities. He stressed, “We believe in giving the citizens of our country a hand-up and not handouts.” And, in his view, the NPP showed this by expanding the economy significantly in 8 years, while, at the same time, implementing policies that were deliberately made to project greater social mobility, upwardly. He went on to list the many social interventions made under President J A Kufuor as in direct adherence to the fairness values of the party. “We believe in creating a new society of opportunities but it is not achieved by imposing equality. It is achieved by enabling fair opportunities for each and every one to gain access to the tools of progress and dignity. We do so by not limiting quality healthcare and education to only the few in society who can afford it. That is why we are committed to free, affordable quality education for every child. That is why we remain committed to ensuring at the secondary education level that every child in Ghana gains access to free, quality education.” He expressed the hope that after 2012, the NDC would not have totally destroyed the National Health Insurance Scheme and that the NPP, God willing, would be elected to revive, improve and extend the scheme. He said the concerns of the youth of Ghana border mainly around access to education, skills and jobs. And the responsibility of Government is to provide education and access to skills, and create the environment for job creation. “In building a new society of opportunities, we need to have a legal system that is fair to all, whether rich or poor. A public sector that gives quality service to all. The law must deal with every guilty person the same way and the public service must be tailored to benefit the citizens it is designed to serve, regardless of who they may be.” He said the concept of a property owning democracy encapsulates the fairness principle of the NPP. “Which of you here does not want to have his or her own home?” he threw the question to a totally muted response from the gathering of NPP youth leaders. But, to ensure every citizen of Ghana has the opportunity to own their own home, “there must be fairness in empowering people for them to create wealth and own their own property.” Nana Akufo-Addo added, “home ownership is not just about its material value. But owning your own home enhances your dignity as a person.” He said the fairness principle also recognizes that not everybody may own a home but the society must enhance the dignity of its citizens by enabling the creation of a decent environment. He went on to link the aspiration of a property owning democracy to the third of the basic values, fraternity. He described fraternity as “solidarity and dignity” among all citizens. A shared patriotism and neighbourliness where envy is not encouraged but success and prosperity are encouraged and modeled. “It is through freedoms, fairness and fraternity that we can create a property owning democracy.” Nana Akufo-Addo charged the youth of the NPP to go out there and sell the party’s message. He disclosed that between 75-80% of the country’s population is estimated to be 40 years-old or below. So, the strategy of the Youth Wing was crucial to the party’s programme for victory in 2012. He said the NPP, if voted to power, will return to its programme of “preparing the youth of Ghana to a brighter future.” Also present at the two-day strategy workshop, which ends Friday, were Jake Obestebi-Lamptey, National Chairman, Kwadwo “Sir John” Owusu Afriyie, General Secretary, Mustapha Idris, former Northern Regional Minister, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, 2008 running mate, Dan Botwe, the MP for Okere, Anthony Karbo, National Youth Organiser and Asare Otchere-Darko, head of Danquah Institute, who gave a presentation on ‘Problem Analysis.’ Source: Herbert Krapa, Press Aide to Nana Akufo-Addo