Prez. Akufo-Addo praised for rejecting ‘alluring’ powers

• Posted on December 19, 2017
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s open advocacy against the concentration of power in himself, at the just- ended New Patriotic Party (NPP) extraordinary national delegates’ conference, has drawn applause from the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive.

Felix Mensah Nii Annang-La, the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive pointed out that Akufo-Addo’s open campaign against making the President leader of the NPP showed how modest he was and that would become exemplary for subsequent leaders. “Power is sweet and enjoyable and if His Excellency was interested in annexing all powers, he would have backed the proposal to make every sitting NPP President, starting with him, the automatic leader of the party, but he did not. “It takes total modesty and a spirit of service to resist such alluring prospects; the President has really given us a great example in this country,” Annang-La said on the sidelines of the conference in Kumasi. He said the position of the President was a good precedent that would also serve to keep out dictators from the party as that position preserved important checks and balances that ensured that dictators did not emerge in the party. President Akufo-Addo, on Sunday, advocated strongly against three proposed amendments to the ruling party’s constitution, one of which was a proposed amendment that would automatically make the President, rather than the Chairman of the NPP, leader of the party.

If the proposal had gone through, President Akufo-Addo would have made history as the first ever concurrent President of Ghana and Leader of the NPP, but he resisted the move strongly and rather campaigned against it along with two other proposals. “We’ve agreed that three controversial amendments are going to be withdrawn. The first is the amendment making it impossible for dual citizens to hold party office and contest elections. That amendment will be a disaster for our party, it will lead to the collapse of our overseas branches and it is not constitutional. I’m aware of the problem that the amendment seeks to cure, but we have to deal with it in another manner. “The second proposal that has been withdrawn is the one that gives the MPs the right to appoint members of the constituency executives. I am strongly opposed to the measure, and it is going to be withdrawn.

The third amendment to which I am absolutely opposed is one that seeks to make the presidential candidate, president of our country, the flagbearer and leader of the party; that motion is against all precedent and traditions of this party, and I am going to ask Congress to, if it will not be withdrawn, oppose and reject it. We do not need that amendment,” President Akufo-Addo said. The Tema MCE said he was humbled by the President’s principled position, adding that the advocacy was worth applauding because ‘it is a good precedent that will serve the good of the party for a long time to come.’ He also praised President Akufo-Addo for advising them on unity and harmony at the programme.

-GNA