Ghana’s 5th President of the 4th Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was sworn-in on Saturday in a very graceful event. His wonderful speech brought so much inspiration and left Ghanaians in awe until it was later discovered that some portions were lifted from speeches by two former American Presidents.
Some party activists have since the development, sought to offer explanations that I find very shallow and problematic. First of all, the fact that the speech was repeated by several presidents does not give Nana’s speech writers any excuse or reason to lift words from the speech by President Woodrow Wilson (28th President of USA).
A mere apology for that embarrassment that was visited upon us is not enough. There should be sanctions. This gaffe should not be treated with kid gloves especially when our newly sworn-in President is already in the headlines in other countries for the wrong reasons. His reputation has already been dented.
And to those who are complaining that the criticisms are unfair and coming in too early, I wish to remind you that this is what patriotism is all about. We [Ghanaians] cannot go on holidays after Saturday’s elaborate inauguration of the NPP administration. We must support this administration, not only by religiously paying taxes and supporting policies and plans, but also criticizing it when it goes wrong.
A piece of advice to NPP gov’t
Nana Addo came to power with the promise of transforming leadership, zero tolerance for corruption, and open governance. These can only be achieved if the President immediately dismantles the cartels around him who would want to use their proximity to the presidency as a way of enriching their pockets.
The next step is to strike a balance between the huge expectations of Ghanaians (those who voted for him plus those who didn’t) and the realities of the day. This will go a long way in helping the NPP administration prioritize the people’ s needs.
What the NDC should do
On the political front, NDC must also take their new role (minority party) seriously by conducting themselves in a manner that manifests them as a “government in waiting.”
They must play their watchdog role and only accept to go to bed with the majority party in matters or areas that are in the interest of the people of Ghana. They (elements within its rank) must not be seen to be joint-conspirators with elements within the government in matters that only serve to defraud the public.
In conclusion, I wish the new administration all the very best, but the same time, remind them that the honey moon period is over!
It is now time to deliver on their litany of campaign promises besides sorting out the challenges inherited from the NDC administration!
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