The flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo says he will increase the number of policemen in the country to 50,000. He said the current 22,000 police force will be increased and better resourced to tackle the challenges of security facing the country. “The public deserves a police service that is friendly, effective and efficient”, he said. Nana Akufo-Addo said this when he took his turn at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA's) forum for presidential candidates to outline their programmes before the 2008 elections. Fighting crime for him was a top priority because he wants to build a country where citizens are free to move about and conduct their business without fear. Education "Quality education ladies and gentlemen, is fundamental to a modern society and we will implement the new education policy by focusing on quality and putting the teacher at the center of the whole process". He said he will establish one university in every region in Ghana to expand the infrastructure to enable many more people to attain university education. The University for Development Studies which has three campuses in Tamale, Navrongo and Wa will also be strengthened. “Government will absorb additional user fees for science students to encourage the studying of science”, he said. According to him, free secondary education which will cost about 75m Ghana cedis will be made compulsory. Teacher training colleges in the country will be upgraded to tertiary levels to train teachers who will be capable of implementing the education reforms. The school feeding programme he stated will be expanded to enable parents send their children to school. The former Foreign Minister said he was committed to ensuring that the gap in education between the north and south was bridged. Nana Akufo-Addo also touched on decentralisation saying the District Assembly Common Fund will be increased from five per cent to 10 per cent. That, he said will enable district assemblies to undertake development projects for the benefit of the majority of the people. On the thorny issue of drugs, the NPP flag bearer said he will collaborate with agencies in the United States and the United Kingdom in the fight against the menace. Corruption he noted will be fought relentlessly adding "I will fight corruption vigorously”. He said he will strengthen institutions charged with fighting corruption. Passage of the Freedom to Information Bill he emphasised will be fast-tracked to help in the fight against corruption. Economy Nana Addo said he was committed to developing a modern society where the economy will grow at 10 per cent. He said under his presidency, the time for processing business applications will be reduced which will also reduce the time for doing business in Ghana. The government, according to him, will irrigate three northern regions of the country and the Accra plains to increase food production and reduce hunger in the country. Nana Addo said the North was capable of being the bread basket of West Africa and will be developed to do that. He pledged to use his understanding of both French and English to fast-track regional integration to create market for Ghanaian products. The Abuakwa South Member of Parliament said adding value to the country’s raw materials will be pursued vigorously. He said Ghana’s development will remain at a subsistence level unless value addition was taken seriously. “I will be action oriented, demanding results, chasing progress and reject bureaucracy”, he noted.