General News of Wednesday, 16 May 2012Source: GNA Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and his running mate, Alhaji Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, received tremendous reception when they visited the Kade constituency of the Eastern Region on Tuesday.

They were in the area for what party officials described as “restoration of hope” and met the Kade Zongo community and later addressed a large gathering at the Kade durbar grounds.

They also addressed cheering crowds at Pramkese, Akyem Techiman, Asuom, Abaam and Abodom.

Nana Akufo-Addo cautioned party members against “skirt and blouse voting”, a term used for voting for a presidential candidate and not for the parliamentary candidate of the party or vice versa.

The flag bearer said the NPP was working hard to win landslide victories in both the presidential and parliamentary elections but would not be able to do so if some members, supporters and sympathizers of the party vote “skirt and blouse”.

Nana Akufo Addo accused President John Atta Mills of using deception and lies to attain power by promising to reduce prices of goods, petroleum products and putting money in the pockets of the people.

He asked “do you have money in your pockets” and the reply was a resounding “No”.

He reiterated his promise of free education up to the senior high school level and to train the youth to acquire skills that would make them marketable or to be assisted to be on their own.

The party would also assist farmers, artisans, market women and other traders.

Nana Akufo-Addo said when the NPP government said it was setting up the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), its opponent said they could not do it but the party made that promise possible. He said unfortunately, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was gradually destroying the scheme.

The flag bearer said an NPP government would ensure that there was law and order and that everyone was equal before the law including the President himself; and that there would not be different laws for the powerful and powerless, rich and poor.

At the Kade Zongo, Dr Bawumia said the NDC government was mismanaging the economy and deceiving Ghanaians that all was well.

He said the government wanted to destroy whatever the NPP government did; but the electorate should vote NPP back to power to restore confidence.

He decried the galloping prices of goods and services that were inflicting hardship on the people.

The vice presidential candidate promised Zongo communities that the NPP government would set up a special fund to improve conditions in the Zongos across the country.**