The New Patriotic Party's (NPP)presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo and his running mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Saturday, brought commercial activities to a halt when they took the 'Hope Tour’ to the Eastern region. Touring the Abuakwa North constituency on their first day, Nana Addo and Dr Bawumia were mobbed by residents, traders and commercial drivers who abandoned everything to catch a glimpse of the pair that has been described by President Kufuor as “God sent”. The tour took Nana Addo and his running mate to Anyinasin, Aboabo, Old Tafo, Osiem, New Tafo, Sokode and Kukurantumi all in the Abuakwa North constituency. They took time to shake and interact with as many people as possible in the various communities they visited. Nana Addo in his address asked the people whether they’ve benefited from President Mills’ so-called unprecedented achievements to which they responded with a loud no. He said “instead of putting money in our pockets as he promised, President Mills has rather created holes in our pockets and it is simply because of the hardships that his administration is visiting on the Ghanaian people.” Nana Addo stressed the need for all registered voters who have been made poorer and helpless by the incompetent NDC administration to vote massively for the NPP in December to ensure that Ghana is put back on the pedestal of growth and development. He said “we all have to vote massively to retire this incompetent NDC administration to make way for the NPP to come and make your lives better. “I remain committed to providing free senior high school education for all our youth. I believe we cannot make that transformation if majority of our people remain illiterate.” He said his focus will also be to expand and transform the Ghanaian economy to create and sustain jobs for the many unemployed in our country. “If we do not make a conscious effort to reduce drastically the level of unemployment in our country, we will be building a pool of hopeless and helpless people, mainly young men and women who will be forced into acts that will haunt all of us in the end” Nana Addo noted. The running mate to Akufo-Addo, Dr Bawumia said “the better Ghana that President Mills promised has now become a harder Ghana and the earlier the Ghanaians voted the NDC out, the better for the wellbeing of the Ghanaian people and the Ghanaian economy. “It is obvious that President Mills and his team do not have the knowledge and expertise to manage the affairs of our country and that is why they have remained clueless for four years.” He continued “the better Ghana has not come in three and half years and it will not come in six months, simply because they do not have the know-how and commitment to make the lives of the Ghanaian people better.” He cautioned “if we do not vote them out now, hunger and poverty will start killing our people and that is surely not what we want for our country.” He said Nana Akufo-Addo’s vision of creating a society of opportunities and aspirations is possible and all it requires is the right and experienced hands to do the job. He observed “I have worked closely with him and I know he is committed to bringing about the economic transformation that will help create more decent and sustainable jobs for our people. “I entreat all of you, to join Nana Akufo-Addo and vote massively for him and the NPP so that together we can restore hope and prosperity to our people”, Dr. Bawumia added.