The flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on Ghanaians to reject any party that seeks to engage in a campaign of lies and twisted half truths for political gain and show their abhorrence for such a practice by voting against such parties in the December polls. Speaking at separate rallies in the six orphan constituencies in the Eastern Region which include the Upper Manya, Manya Krobo and Yilo Krobo constituencies, yesterday, Nana Akufo-Addo urged Ghanaians to punish any party that pushes a tribal or ethnic agenda in the December polls by giving it an electoral trouncing. At Asawase, a predominantly Krobo area, the NPP flagbearer urged Krobos to ignore the claim by some of his party's opponents that settler Krobo farmers would be driven off their lands if they vote the NPP, which they maintain is an Akan party, into power, pointing out that although the NPP has been in power for the past seven years, no such action has been taken. Tracing the historic relation between Akyems and Krobos, Nana Akufo-Addo said his great grandfather, Nana Sir Ofori Atta I gave out some of his lands to settler farmers, and the two have lived together in a friendly, neighbourly way ever since. Having lived together for so long, why would Akyems suddenly decide to get rid of their neighbours, especially in this era of rule of law, he wondered. The NPP has failed to win a single seat in the Krobo area since 1992. The NPP flag bearer also urged the people to treat with contempt the threat that the nation would be plunged into chaos if the NPP is voted back to power. The threat, issued by elements of the NDC including its flagbearer, J E A Mills, he said, is indicative of how desperate Ghana's largest opposition party is, and Ghanaians should take note accordingly. He urged residents of the 374 zongo communities in the country to rally behind NPP to win power and continue its remarkable record. He also cautioned them not to allow themselves to be misled by opposition rumours that the NPP government would deport all the inhabitants of the zongo, asking rhetorically, "are people in Zongos not Ghanaians?" He reminded Ghanaians that in 2000, he declared at Odumase in the Eastern Region that an NPP government would significantly change the destiny of Ghana, and this has come to pass with the provision of many developmental and infrastructural projects, including schools, hospitals, and roads. The government has also introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme, School Feeding Programme and the Capitation Grant to alleviate the suffering of the poorest of the poor. This was ample evidence, he declared, that the NPP cared the most about the welfare of the ordinary citizen. Turning to the December polls, Nana Akufo-Addo said elections should not be reduced to a state of warfare, but an occasion for people to express their opinion about the policies and programmes of the various parties through the ballot box. Nene Sasraku IV, acting President of the Manya Krobo traditional area, called on his people to critically assess the track records of the various parties and vote for the one who had delivered most on its electoral promises. Nana Akufo-Addo was accompanied by former flagbearer aspirants Yaw Osafo Maafo, Mike Oquaye, Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Boakye Agyarko, as well as Yaw Gyekye Amoabeng, Eastern Region NPP Chairman, Easter Regional Minister Kwadwo Affram Asiedu and BDK Adu, MP for Okere. Source: The Statesman