The presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Wednesday cast himself as a strategic reformer and vowed prosperity for Ghanaians if elected into power. “The 21st century, with the aid of science and technology and the spread of liberal democracy, offers humankind the prospects for the first time in human history of building a world civilisation of prosperity in freedom for all the peoples of the world, where the arts and culture will flourish and improve the lives of all of us on this dear planet,” he said. The flag-bearer dropped optimism about the future of the country saying, “I am confident that we can work together to build such a new world.” Nana Addo who was addressing a conference in Birmingham of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom promised to put Ghana ahead of an African era stamped with a vision for industrialisation. The flag-bearer is on a tour abroad to canvass support for the party in the run-up to the December polls. “The time has come for the industrialisation and transformation of Africa’s economies. “Ghana is determined to lead and be among the first of the African Lions which will embark on this course of modernisation, a process that should be considerably assisted by the recent discovery of high-grade crude oil in commercial quantities,” Nana Addo stated. He took a swipe at the global economic giants who he said had dominated the world market to the disadvantage of developing nations. He described the trend as a “prescription of global insecurity.” “A globe dominated by a handful of rich nations in the north, with the majority of nations in the south languishing in poverty and misery, is not a prescription for global security. Our generation is not seeking handouts from anybody. “We do believe that our common humanity requires that we forge partnerships with the developed world, especially Britain, that would lead to the transformation of the lives of the Ghanaian and African people, a transformation that would bring the mass of our people out of poverty into a marked enhancement of the quality of their lives,” he emphasised. But as he visits a city in a country that once colonised the country he hopes to rule, Nana Addo compared Britain with Ghana from the struggle for self-rule to legal systems. He said the history behind the relationship between the two countries, which he said had been tortuous, adequately presented them countries as partners in development. Nana Addo also touted the achievements of the NPP government, referencing a seven-year period which he said had “coincided with the most significant improvements in all aspects” of the life of the Ghanaian. Author: Fiifi Koomson