The National Democratic Congress (NDC) yesterday orchestrated the shutting down of two major link-bridges in the Ellembelle Constituency in the Western Region to frustrate a campaign tour of the area by the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Residents raved over the development and accused the Member of Parliament for the areas, Kofi Armah Buah, of being the brain behind the plot.

A few hours before Nana Addo was to arrive in the town of Eikwe to visit the community hospital and address a rally, the only link-bridge on which the NPP flag-bearer and his entourage were to travel was shut down, cutting off the town from the rest of the constituency.

Nana Addo was however determined to send his message to the electorate of Ellembelle. When his campaign convoy reached the Eikwe bridge, which no vehicle could use, he alighted and crossed the bridge to Eikwe and addressed the people.

“You can’t stop me,” “you can’t stop me,” “you can’t stop me,” Nana Addo was heard muttering as he crossed the bridge in the company of the former NPP national chairman, Peter Mac Manu, Director of Operations Lord Commey, NPP candidate for Ellembelle David Kwasi Bonzoh, Freddie Blay, former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, MP for Amenfi East, and John Boadu, a deputy director of communications.

Some days earlier, another bridge in the constituency linking Nkronful to Esiama was also shut down, ostensibly because the NPP had roamed the town with megaphones announcing that Nana Addo would travel through that road to address a rally at Nkronful.

When Daily Guide checked from the Department of Feeder Roads in Takoradi, there was no plan for nay routine maintenance on the two bridges as government claimed.

The MP, Mr. Buah, was quoted by the official news website of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to have denied the closure of the two bridges.

What A Crowd

As part of the Western Regional campaign tour of Nana Akufo Addo, the Ellembelle Constituency of the NPP yesterday held several rallies within the constituency and literally brought activities to a standstill.

It was as if every person in the area was an NPP sympathizer as almost everybody wore the party’s tee shirts, mufflers and colors, throwing the towns into states of carnival.

The party’s flags had been hoisted on every street light pole in the constituency and several vehicles displayed miniature NPP flags as they tooted their horns and drove with their headlights on in broad daylight.

Several brass-band groups also roamed the constituency playing for dancing onlookers while other party members mounted long trailers that had huge speaker boxes from which they blasted music.

Several exceptionally beautiful young ladies gyrated and swung their waists to the music, while another group of young men road motorbikes acrobatically.

“What a crowd,” Nana Addo said when he mounted the platform at Essiama.

Message

He said there was an urgent need for Ghana to be rescued from the leadership of persons bent on retarding the progress achieved over the years.

He assured the youth of free second-cycle education under his presidency.

Nana Addo shared his dream of an industrialized Ghana where residents could be gainfully employed and enjoy comfortable lives.

On the oil discovery, Nana Ado explained that if the country lacked the right leadership, the oil would not be a blessing to the citizens.

He said there was the need to show the Atta Mills-led Government the “red card” and give the NPP power.