The Gentle Giant: A legacy

On Sunday, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, turned 81, and was widely celebrated, especially on social media, and rightly so, I believe.

By any stretch of the imagination, it is quite a big deal to hit one’s octogenarian years.

When I saw and heard him speak last weekend in Kumasi, I was struck by the clarity of his voice, and his mind remains as sharp as ever even though his gait is no longer what it once was.

From politician to statesman

Of all the ex-presidents we have had in this Fourth Republic, I think President Kufuor stands out as the one who has made the smoothest transition from politician to statesman, rising above the rough and tumble in the bear pit that we call politics in this country.

I am sure even his most avowed critics would agree.

I think his finest moment in this regard was when he defied the raw sentiment in the rank and file of his NPP to attend the inauguration of President John Mahama in January 2013, at a time when his party was contesting the 2012 election results that saw President Mahama declared President.

I believe he took the view that the inauguration was a legitimate state event.

Bold initiatives and criticisms

Of course, whilst noting the warm and effusive praises for the former president, it also occurred to me that he was one of the most heavily criticised leaders of this country during his tenure who also stood his guns and pursued his vision with relentless fervour.

Throughout his presidency, I was living abroad, but even though I travelled home regularly, it was not enough to get a real and personal feel of the issues that he had to deal with and his dogged determination in the face of stiff opposition both within his party and from the opposition party.

Take, for instance, his decision to commit Ghana to a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) status, with the benefits and restrictions. Hell broke loose, and it is said that some of the stiffest opposition came from within his government, but he kept faith with his position.

He pursued his vision for a credible health insurance programme, the opening up of the banking sector to foreign competition (which actually led to more people being banked), free maternal care, capitation grant, a school feeding programme for basic schools which saw enrolment actually go up, revival of the Bui Dam project and many others.

In 2004, President Kufuor actually improved on his 2000 election vote tally and won that year’s presidential election with ease. His second term saw great success especially in the economy.

But the criticisms still rang loudly and the then opposition ranked him as probably the worst thing to happen to this country.

We heard of HIPC Junction, Hotel Waawaa, Gizelle Yiazi, a jaccuzzi in his house, sale of our gold reserves and all sorts of scurrilous accusations.

We heard endless accusations of corruption over Vodafone and a host of others. Eventually, in spite of his government’s many successes, his government lost the 2008 elections.

I daresay that if his party had retained power and pursued his path, this country would have been a different place now.

Looking back over the years, I am sure many of the former President’s avowed critics will admit that he did his best and actually impacted this country positively in several ways.

Definitely, within the NPP’s political tradition, he has been the most successful president so far.

Whither Akufo-Addo?

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, a seasoned politician, expects the barbs that come with the territory from the opposition, from ordinary citizens and from his own party, over one thing or the other.

Certainly he is pursuing bold initiatives that feed into his vision for the country, such as Free SHS, One district, One factory, Planting for Food and Jobs and the banking sector clean-up, among others. All of these have attracted, and continue to attract fierce criticisms.

But as in the case of Kufuor, the ultimate test is whether in a decade or two, when he is no longer president, we are able to look back collectively and say of one initiative or the other “actually that was a very good idea he pursued”. I believe he has done well so far and history will be kind to him.

I pray Kofi Diawuo Kufuor, the Gentle Giant, enjoys a long life well into his centenary years. Happy birthday, Papa!!

By Rodney Nkrumah-Boateng (rodboat@yahoo.com)