Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says the economic hardships, widespread corruption and rising levels of unemployment in the country only point to the fact that the "Better Ghana" agenda of the ruling National Democratic Congress government has collapsed.

According to Nana Akufo-Addo, what Ghanaians are witnessing under President Mahama's administration is a clear manifestation of his government's failure to provide good governance for the Ghanaian people. 

He made this known when he addressed delegates from the Central Region at the Manna Heights resort at Mankessim, when he took his campaign, ahead of the NPP's August 31 Special Electoral College, to the region.

Akufo-Addo explained that the cost of living in the country keeps rising on a daily basis, whereas the incomes and salaries of ordinary Ghanaians remain low, a scenario he said is creating greater and greater hardships for Ghanaians.  

Akufo-Addo assured the gathering and Ghanaians, at large, that his government will pursue an industrialisation agenda that will structurally transform the Ghanaian economy from a raw material producing one to one that focusses on value addition and exports of Ghanaian products, a situation which will create lots of jobs for Ghanaians. 

To do this, he told that delegates that he will assemble a competent team, from within and outside of parliament, to give Ghana the first class government it truly deserves.

"I am not in politics to enrich myself or my family. I came into politics to serve the people of Ghana. Give me the opportunity once more and I assure you that I will give the party victory, and also to realise this vision for Ghana," Nana Addo said.

At the heart of the transformation agenda, Nana Addo indicated, will be to ensure that every child has access to good quality education. "Free SHS will become a reality under my government," he said.

Nana Akufo-Addo thanked the region for the 76% margin of victory he received from them in 2010, urging it to replicate and better this feat this time round.  

In concluding, Akufo-Addo reiterated his appeal to NPP national officers to cease the ongoing "media war", urging them to resolve whatever issues they may have by resorting to the party's structures. 

"Join me in making this appeal to our national officers. Let us forget about press conferences, radio and TV interviews and newspaper articles about ourselves. The target of such media interventions should always the NDC and not ourselves," he stressed.