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Politics of Friday, 11 November 2016

Source: Statesman

NPP, Akufo-Addo congratulate Donald Trump

Voters want a party that addresses their concerns


The opposition New Patriotic Party has observed that Tuesday's election in the United States of American that led to a change in government in the most powerful nation in the world offers very important lessons for Ghana, as the December 7 elections inch closer.

The NPP, in a statement issued yesterday and signed by Nana Akomea, the Communications Director, stressed that no incumbent government is entitled to an automatic stay in power, looking at how the Americans voted for change.

With regards to comments made by the General Secretary of the NDC, Asiedu Nketia, prior to the US elections, that Nana Akufo-Addo "is the Donald Trump of Ghana," Nana Akomea had this to say: "The lesson for Mr Asiedu Nketia is that perhaps the NPP and our flagbearer are the party actually articulating the real needs and concerns of Ghanaians, the concerns about jobs, poverty, corruption, unbearably high cost of living, high inflation, collapsing health service, collapsing agriculture, collapsing industrial sector etc."

He explained that a government can only have another term in government if it fulfills the expectations of the people who voted it into power.

Nana Akomea explained that even though Donald Trump made comments many did not agree with, he touched on germane issues that had a bearing to the average American.
"The Republican candidate Mr Trump made many comments that many found disagreeable and regrettable. At some points, he did not enjoy the support of key members of his party including ex-presidents, the Senate majority leader etc. who all spoke out against him. But obviously he also gave voice to issues that really mattered to the majority of the American people, including poverty, deprivation, jobs, security etc," he emphasized.

Nana Akomea indicated that the change that had happened in America would happen on December 7 in Ghana.

"It is very clear that President Mahama and the NDC government have lost touch with the real needs and concerns of Ghanaians. President Mahama has lamented that his message and achievements are being blocked by some media people from getting to Ghanaians. The President is wrong. His message is not being blocked. The truth is that his message is simply not resonating with the real needs of Ghanaians, as was forcefully said to him by the Awoamefia, Togbe Sri," he said.
In a related development, the party's presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has also sent a congratulatory message to the Donald Trump on his victory.
Nana Akufo-Addo, in a statement released yesterday, barely hours after Mr Trump had won over 278 electoral votes, out of the 538 for victory, beating his rival, Hillary Clinton of the Democrat Party, pointed out that the election "has strengthened even further the status of the United States of America as a bastion of democracy in the modern world."
"I join many across the world in extending my warmest congratulations to the President-Elect of the United States of America, Donald Trump, on his victory in the November 8 election. His competitor, Secretary Hillary Clinton, is also to be applauded for graciously conceding defeat.

I commend the Republican Party, the sister party of the New Patriotic Party and a fellow member of the International Democrat Union (IDU), for maintaining control of the Senate, thereby presenting the President-Elect a minimum of two years of a 'unified' government," Nana Addo stated.

According to Nana Akufo-Addo, he looks forward to seeing to a fruitful working relation between the two countries.

He added, "It is my sincere hope that President-Elect Trump's tenure of office will be marked by the economic empowerment of the American people, as well as the delivery of unity, security, progress and prosperity to all Americans. It is also my overriding hope that Ghanaian-American relations will grow from strength to strength under his Presidency, which has, over the years, been based on a shared agenda of freedom, development, progress and prosperity."