NPP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TELLS AMBASSADOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 000605 SIPDIS FOR AF/W DANA BANKS/TEITELBAUM, AF/FO E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/06/2018 TAGS: PGOV GH SUBJECT: NPP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TELLS AMBASSADOR ELECTION WILL BE "TOUGH", BUT NPP ULTIMATELY WILL BE VICTORIOUS Classified By: Ambassador Pamela E. Bridgewater, for reasons 1.5 (b). ¶1. (U) This is the first in a series of cables as I begin farewell calls on key interlocutors, civil society, and institutions. ¶2. (C) I hosted New Patriotic Party presidential flag bearer Nana Akufo-Addo for lunch at the residence on May 2. Arriving relaxed in jeans and jacket, Nana made the points below in response to my queries on various subjects: His Vision for Ghana: -- An Akufo-Addo government would aim to increase economic growth to 8 percent per year over the current 5-6 per cent and insure a climate of confidence for foreign investors; insure that Ghanaians will always be able to have a political environment where they are not afraid to speak their minds for fear of reprisals; establish a unit within his presidency that would work to bring talented Ghanaians living abroad home to share experiences and resources. Running Mate - May be Time for a Female -- Nana said he is giving "serious" consideration to naming a female as his running mate -- the leading contenders being Women and Children's Affairs Minister Hajia Alia Mahama and newly named Minister of Tourism Oboshie Sai Cofie. Both, he said, are "emminently qualified" but he is leaning at the moment towards Mahama, a highly qualified lawyer (as is Akufo-Addo),a Muslim, and someone who would bring geographical balance (she is from the Northern Region). Nana expects to name his VP candidate by the time of the party congress, and will set up a committee to vet all candidates thoroughly and develop a "short list" for his consideration. (Note: Both Ministers are articulate professionals and valued Embassy interlocutors. End note.) NPP's Achievements and Challenges -- "We've done many things right in our eight years of power, he noted, but we haven't done all that we could do. Akufo-Addo said the GOG needed to strengthen several critical ministries: Justice, Interior, and Energy, for example. Nana said that the criminal justice system desperately needs overhauling (Note: He was formerly attorney general, and we agreed wholeheartedly that the criminal justice system is in dire need of improvement. End note.) December 2008 "Most Critical Election" 
-- Akufo-Addo said that the upcoming election would perhaps be the "toughest" yet. Having been in power eight years, there is a natural inclination for the electorate to "want a change", and to give someone else a turn at bat. So the NPP's work to be re-elected will be a huge challenge, he averred. Nevertheless, he said that the NPP's record of achievements such as the capitation grant, school feeding program, signing of the Millennium Challenge Account compact, improvements in road infrastructure (but not enough, he added),concessionary loan to construct the Bui Dam and a new community project bringing employment to many in the Brong Ahafo region, lowering of inflation, peace and stability, international recognition and praise, strong and growing financial support from development partners, are fertile ground upon which to build a good, winning campaign if the NPP plays its cards correctly. Skyrocketing fuel prices and higher food costs, ongoing power outages and water shortages will be worrisome, however, and the party is seeking ways to mitigate these economic and social challenges for the average Ghanaian. Oil Discovery and Narcotics Trafficking -- The entire West Africa region is plagued by the menace of narcotics trafficking and growing use of drugs, Akufo-Addo admitted. The easy money that traffickers and their bag men and women gain is practically an unbeatable enticement for unemployed youth and disaffected members of the population. Ghana must commit resources to those entities such as the police, Narcotics Control Board, Ghana Navy and Defense Department and Immigration to get the "King Pins" and bring them to book, and he would insure this if elected. Educating the public, particularly the youth, about the ills of drug use must also be a priority. He admitted that the lure of easy money is a hard barrier to overcome, particularly when forty per cent of the populations continues to live on less than one U.S. dollar per day and there are few structures in ACCRA 00000605 002 OF 002 place to track and trace drug transactions. (Comment: I informed Akufo-Addo that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration would be setting up an office soon in Accra. End Comment) -- With the discovery of potentially huge deposits of oil, Akufo-Addo said that the use of such revenues should be monitored under an act of Parliament and that he would push for such an act if elected. An act of Parliament would guarantee that revenues would not end up in the pockets of certain ministers or others, but that resources would be used for education, health, infrastructure, and other social programs to benefit all Ghanaians. Moreover, with a legislative act, the revenues would be equitably distributed regardless of party or change in government. His Greatest Hope: Ghana must be the "Best" Example for Africa -- Ghana must entrench and strengthen its democratic institutions to demonstrate to the world that there is at least one African country that will not fall into chaos and violent upheaval if one party does not win an election. Nana was confident that regardless of who wins, Ghanaians would not, repeat not, allow a Kenya post election scenario to replay here. "We value peace and security too much, he insisted." Ghana can and will be the showpiece for the African continent, and that is Akufo-Addo's greatest desire, and what he will work hardest to achieve if elected President. Ghana-U.S. Relations -- Nana said that U.S.-Ghana relations had never been stronger or better than at the present time. He said he valued the relationship and would continue to insure that it grew from strength to strength. He added, however, that if elected, there is likely to be more of a nationalistic tone and posture to Ghanaian policies and actions than what was demonstrated under Kufuor. But the relationship is a solid one between our two countries and peoples and would continue to thrive to benefit both our nations. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: Given the heated tone of the 2008 election campaign, it was reassuring for the NPP flagbearer to stress the importance of maintaining peace and security in Ghana regardless of the outcome of the election. Akufo-Addo's comments on the NPP strategy - focusing on the party's record of achievement in eight years of power - is consistent with what we have heard from other NPP leaders. However, this strategy will invite unfavorable criticism from those who argue that Ghana's economic growth statistics have not resulted in a tangible improvement in the average Ghanaian's standards of living, and will also allow Akufo-Addo's opponents to highlight the government's less than stellar performance in managing Ghana's power and water infrastructure. We are also encouraged by Akufo-Addo's recognition of shortcomings in the GOG's management of the justice system and the growing narcotics problem, as both issues will present serious challenges to the incoming government. END COMMENT. BRIDGEWATER