In 2008 whilst I was still in secondary school and my interest in politics had just began to show, one person who I looked up to greatly was then Hon. Nana Akufo Addo who had been nominated as flagbearer for the NPP for the first time to contest against professor Atta Mills (Late). My interest in politics encouraged me to contest for the senior school prefect position in my school which later resulted in me being first assistant senior prefect. I didn’t take part in student politics at the university because I detested the kind of student politics which was going on there. It pains me to say this, but most student politicians in the universities these days do so for self-aggrandizement and not because they have identified some ill in the school which must be confronted and solved.
I was in my early formative years then and anything I saw about politics I took interest in, which led me to read Nana Addo’s speech at the second series of the Ferdinand Ayim memorial lectures, on the topic “Why We Must Believe in Ghana”. The speech had been printed in the form of a booklet and was shared at an NPP campaign rally, so someone who attended (I guess it was my elder sister) got a copy and left it in our hall.
I took keen interest in the speech for no apparent reason, probably because I like the NPP party, but I am glad I read that speech because afterwards, I became awe struck by the thought process of the gentlemen who was seeking to be president of Ghana at the time. I held a notion at the time like most Ghanaians that, the majority of people who seek political office in Ghana do so for personal benefit and party benefit. However, this was a man who unlike his compatriots was talking patriotism and the need to modernise Ghana for everyone’s benefit. I read that speech over 15 times before I finally lost that booklet and the part that struck me most was subtitled “Why Some Toil and Die for Ghana”.
In that section, Nana Akufo Addo recounts the many challenges that we as a people have encountered such as colonialism and military rule and talks about the sacrifices that many such as Kwame Nkrumah and J. B. Danquah made to ensure that we are where we are as a nation today and argues that the quest of Ghanaians to see modernisation and development is what motivates people to put in selfless efforts for Ghana.
I will urge all readers to google “Why we must believe in Ghana” to understand the kind of person the next president of Ghana actually is. His selflessly is in built and I was not surprised by his composure even after the election petition hearing. He encourages us to be willing to work for Ghana for free without expecting anything back.
I write this piece to congratulate my hero and distant mentor President Elect Nana Akufo Addo.
If there is one man in Ghana who inspires me to be a politician, then it is President elect Nana AKufo Addo. I know he is going to be one of the best presidents Ghana will ever have and I have already been encouraged by his utterances post-election 2016 especially at Nalerigu where he said he wants it to be said when history is written that it was under an Akufo Addo presidency that prosperity was created for all Ghanaians. Also at the NPP’s national thanksgiving he called for reconciliation and forgiveness which signifies he will be a unifying president.
I wish you all the best President Elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
The Author Albert Opare is a political science graduate from the University of Ghana and a social commentator as well as a social & political activist.
You can contact the author by mail on [email protected] .
Comments and Criticisms are welcome
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