Former Prez. Kufuor says Africa has had rulers but not leaders

According to the former President, “Africa has had rulers but not leaders,” adding, “rulers never add to what they inherit but leaders do.”

Mr. Kufuor was speaking at a ceremony to outdoor Professor Baffour Agyemang-Duah as the new Chief Executive Officer of his John Agyekum Kufuor (JAK) Foundation on Tuesday.

Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor, who is Chairman of the Foundation, explained that a good leader must know the challenges of the people, the machinery of governance, as well as hold and uphold the constitution.

He stated that the main pillars of the JAK Foundation are based on agriculture, climate change and health.

Prof Agyemang-Duah, before joining the foundation, was the Senior Special Advisor at the United Nations Mission in Liberia (2008-2013), UN Senior Governance Advisor in Tanzania (2005-2008), and a co-founder and former Associate Executive Director of Ghana Centre for Democratic Development.

He studied at the University of Cape Coast, Ohio University and University of Denver.

The former university professor has more than a dozen of his articles appearing in academic journals and the latest of his three books being; My Ghanaian Odyssey, published in 2012.

Prof Agyemang-Duah in his speech said he was pleased to be given the opportunity to serve the Foundation, Ghana and the African continent at large.

“I was impressed by the former president’s insistence that the JAK Foundation is independent, non-political and non-profit organisation.

He noted that the most impressive, was his advice that all initiatives and engagements of the Foundation be guided by the values and principles of transparency, accountability, inclusion, equity, fairness and commitment to excellence.

Speaking on projects, the new CEO said the Foundation had developed a three- pronged approach to its activities, which includes a developed programme for specialised leadership training, formation and mentoring with particular focus on the youth.

The CEO stated that the Foundation is also developing a programme to advance good democratic governance through advocacy and public education, aside areas of agriculture and health, being the focus of the Foundation’s socio-economic development programme.

Prof Agyemang-Duah said the foundation would complete the John Agyekum Kufuor Presidential Library and Museum, an ongoing project on the campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

The JAK Foundation, which was established in 2009, recognises the persistent challenge of leadership and governance, which continues to undermine Africa’s development.

It therefore aims at contributing to meet the challenge by advancing effective leadership, good governance and socio-economic development.