Kofi Asher, a member of the communications team of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), says the President is right to suggest that the ongoing tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States could have economic consequences for countries like Ghana.
Speaking in a discussion with Alfa Ali on the orange Sunrise, Kofi Asher explained that global conflicts—especially in regions that control a large share of the world’s oil supply—can influence economies across the globe, including those in Africa.
According to him, the global economy is interconnected, and developments in the Middle East cannot be viewed in isolation. He said political instability in that region could disrupt oil supply and global markets, which may eventually affect African economies.
However, he was quick to add that external factors alone cannot be blamed as the main cause of an economic downturn.
The NDC communicator explained that the party has never denied the role external developments can play in shaping Ghana’s economic performance. Instead, he said the party’s position has always been that domestic economic challenges should not be attributed solely to external shocks.
He noted that during Ghana’s economic difficulties under the New Patriotic Party administration, the NDC questioned attempts to blame the crisis entirely on global issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine war.
According to him, the NDC maintained that while those global developments had some impact, internal economic management also played a significant role.
He further challenged claims that the NDC has ever dismissed the influence of external factors on Ghana’s economy, stating that there is no evidence of any senior member of the party publicly making such a claim.
Instead, he argued that former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia had at various times suggested that external factors could fully explain the country’s economic challenges.
The NDC communicator maintained that the President’s comment about the potential economic impact of tensions in the Middle East reflects a reality that cannot be ignored, given the interconnected nature of the global economy.
