ECSTATIC JUBILATION GREETS MILLS IN TAMALE (PAGE 14)

THERE was ecstatic jubilation and deafening cheers when a white dove, cooing softly, hovered above the stage on which the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor John Atta Mills, was addressing a mammoth rally at the Tamale Police Park last Thursday evening.
The surprise appearance of the dove which hovered around the stage momentarily arrested the attention of the milling crowd who cheered on spontaneously, compelling Professor Mills to stop his speech for about 30 seconds to see what the intruding bird was up to.
The rally, attended by a huge crowd, brought together national and regional executives of the NDC. Also present were some parliamentary candidates of the party who were introduced to the people.
When Professor Mills eventually mounted the stage around 5:40 p.m., the supporters went into a frenzy cheering him on, amidst singing and dancing to party songs from the loudspeakers mounted at the grounds.
The presidential candidate, who was visibly elated by the massive turnout, indicated that the people had not been hired, neither had they been bussed or coerced to attend the rally but that they did so because of their compelling love for the NDC.
“This clearly shows the difference in crowds that show up at rallies between the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP),” he claimed.
Professor Mills promised to ensure justice and fairness during his reign for sustainable peace in the country and the north in particular for accelerated development.
He expressed his commitment to modernise agriculture and ensure that the sheanut industry was given the needed boost.
“We will establish factories to process about 50,000 tonnes of shea butter to create job opportunities for the people,” he assured the people.
Professor Mills further stated that an NDC government would rehabilitate dams and irrigation facilities and offer financial assistance to farmers and also re-introduce the Youth in Agriculture (YIA) policy in the country.
On the Tamale Airport, he pledged to upgrade it to international standards and ensure that prospective pilgrims from the north on the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca were made to fly directly from the airport to ease their burden.
He also gave assurance of rehabilitating the Tamale Teaching Hospital to befit its status, open up the roads to facilitate easy movement and invest in education through Information and Communications Technology and establish more senior high and technical schools to build the human resource base of the country.
Other speakers included the General Secretary of the party, Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, some national and regional executives and parliamentary aspirants of the party.