Thousands of residents in Nima poured out onto the streets to welcome the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo to the Ayawaso East constituency, as he resumed his tour of the Greater Accra Region.

Amidst chants of “Nana oo Nana”, “Mahama, Time Aso”, to wit “Mahama, your time is up”, and “change is coming”, market women abandoned their wares, business owners came out of their shops, whilst commercial drivers parked their vehicles, all eager to catch a glimpse of Nana Addo.

In an interaction with Muslim clerics at the Alesuna Mosque, Nana Akufo-Addo noted that when the time is due for elections, there are some who, for political gain, will infiltrate Zongo communities and seek to foist division, on religious lines, amongst the people.

“They will say Akufo-Addo hates Muslims, does not like people resident in Zongo communities, so as to put fear in you. There is not an iota of truth in any of this. Of all the presidential candidates contesting this year’s elections, I’m the only one who has selected a Muslim to be my running mate,” Nana Akufo-Addo said.

Nana Akufo-Addo noted that for the 8 years that the Mahama government has been in office, there has not been a single policy instituted and implemented for the welfare of Zongo communities.

“Right from independence till date, there has never been the mention of Zongo in any part of budget statements laid before parliament. Never! The first budget of an Akufo-Addo government, God-willing, will see the Zongo Development Fund as a line item in the budget.”

We will assemble Zongo community leaders across the country to help us determine what this fund should be used to do, so we can improve the livelihoods of Zongo residents, and, also, bring development to Zongo communities,” he said.

Nana Akufo-Addo recounted how, during the tenure of President Kufuor, allowances for Islamic scholars and tutors were paid. These allowances, sadly, under the Mahama government have been canceled.

“When I win this year’s election, I am going to restore the Islamic tutors’ allowance,” he said, eliciting a roar of approval from the clerics gathered.

With some 56 days to the holding of the December elections, the NPP flagbearer urged the gathering not to pay heed to the skeptics who always say policies espoused by him are not feasible.

“They said the NHIS was not doable. But President Kufuor proved the skeptics wrong and implemented the NHIS. The same way President Kufuor was able to institute the NHIS, I am going to use the same route to implement the Zongo Development Fund, and also restore allowances to Islamic tutors,” he assured.