NPP CHANGES POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IN ASHANTI (PAGE 13)

THE ongoing 8th-day Ashanti Regional campaign tour of the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) presidential aspirant, Nana Akufo-Addo, has dramatically changed the otherwise dormant political environment in the region.
From Kumasi through to Atwima, Asante Akyem, and the other areas that the presidential hopeful had visited so far, thousands of supporters and sympathisers poured into the streets to welcome him.
The visit had also rekindled the discussions on political issues as people tried to analyse the benefits of the campaign.
Some NPP supporters believed that the tour had held huge advantages for the party as it showed that the region was still solidly behind NPP.
According to some NPP supporters who spoke to the Daily Graphic in the Atwima area last Thursday, there were clear indications that the NPP would win massively in the Ashanti Region in the coming elections.
They praised Nana Akufo-Addo for doing a "clean campaign", which they believed, was key in winning floating voters to the party.
Meanwhile, Nana Akufo-Addo took his tour to the Atwima Mponua and Atwima Nwabiagya districts before ending up at the Asokwa Constituency in Kumasi at about 11pm.
The presidential aspirant addressed mini rallies at Nkawie, Toase, Nyinahin, Abuakwa and Barekese.
In all the communities and along the routes, people had gathered in their numbers, some of whom were waving NPP miniature flags.
Addressing the crowds, Nana Akufo-Addo said he appreciated the efforts of cocoa farmers to national development.
He said his government would continuously make significant upward review of cocoa prices and, therefore, urged farmers to have confidence in the party.
Nana Akufo-Addo said over the years, the NPP government, under President Kufuor, had shown faith to the people through the implementation of pragmatic policies and programmes, and also promised that he would continue with such programmes to better the lot of the people.
He said Ghanaians deserved a government that had the capability to turn things around for the betterment of the people, and this was exactly what the NPP was presenting to the masses of the people.
Nana Akufo-Addo said he stood tall amongst all the presidential aspirants in all spheres of the political game.
The presidential aspirant said before the NPP assumed the administration of the country in 2001, the educational, health and other areas of national development were neglected, but today significant changes had been brought into the system.
He called for clean politics from his opponents and condemned politics of ethnicity that had come to be associated with some politicians.
Nana Akufo-Addo introduced the NPP parliamentary candidates for the constituencies he visited at the rally grounds and called on the electorate to vote for them.
He cautioned party supporters against voting "skirt and blouse".
Among officials accompanying the presidential aspirant were Mr yaw Osafo-Maafo, MP for Akim Oda; Mr Dan Botwe, Director of Elections of the NPP, and Dr K.K. Apraku, Campaign Director of the party.