Accra, June 25, GNA - The Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has congratulated former President, John Agyekum Kufuor, for receiving the World Food Prize Foundation award for leading Ghana to cut hunger, under the poverty line of $1.25.

A statement signed by Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the prestigious award confirmed President Kufuor's tireless and competent efforts in prosecuting the old war against poverty.

The statement said Kufuor's visionary policies, led to the significant expansion of the economy, introduction of life-saving and life-improving social interventions, greater business and consumer confidence, job creation, consistent rise in food production, massive expansion of road infrastructure to the rural communities and a doubling in cocoa production within six years.

It noted that the significance of Kufuor's achievement was underlined= by the fact that he shared the award with one of the most iconic leaders of our generation, former President Luiz In=E1cio Lula da Silva of Brazil, who also introduced policies that took millions of Brazilians out of poverty.

The statement said President Kufuor has provided Ghana with the necessary foundation for economic transformation, adding that his achievement gave the NPP a stronger platform to prosecute the campaign of bringing back hope and prosperity to Ghana.

It said the NPP would return in 2013, under the leadership of Akufo-Addo to continue with the all-important project of modernising the society, transforming the economy, winning the war against poverty and bringing prosperity to the broad mass of Ghanaians.

I join the overwhelming majority of Ghanaians and, indeed, all peoples across the world in congratulating the former President of the Republic, His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor, on being honoured by the World Food Prize Foundation for leading Ghana to become the first sub-Saharan African country to cut by half the proportion of its people who suffer from hunger, living under the recognized poverty line of US$1.25.

This prestigious award confirms President Kufuor's tireless and competent efforts in prosecuting the old war against poverty. His visionary policies, led, among other things, to significant expansion of the economy, introduction of life-saving and life-improving social interventions, greater business and consumer confidence, job creation, consistent rise in food production, massive expansion of road infrastructure to our rural communities and a doubling in cocoa production within 6 years.

The significance of his achievement as President of our Republic is further underlined by the fact that he shares this award with one of the most iconic leaders of our generation, former President Luiz In=E1cio Lula da Silva of Brazil, who also introduced policies that took millions of Brazilians out of poverty.

President Kufuor has provided Ghana with the necessary foundation for economic transformation. Thus, his achievement gives the New Patriotic Party (NPP) a stronger platform to prosecute the campaign of bringing back hope and prosperity to Ghana and, God willing, with the Ghanaian people so consenting, the NPP will return in 2013, under my leadership, to continue with the all-important project of modernising our society, transforming the economy, winning the war against poverty and bringing prosperity to the broad mass of Ghanaians.