Kufuor -The Changing Face of African leadership

PRESIDENT KUFUOR – THE CHANGING FACE OF AFRICAN LEADERSHIP There comes a time in the life of every nation, family or whatever when a “Moses”, “Nkrumah”, “Mandela”, etc, is needed to lead them out of bondage and servitude.

In the same vein, at certain critical moments in its life a “Joshua” is required who will continue the forward march into the Promised Land and to make the dreams of his fore-runners a reality. It is this Joshua-like personality that I find in the current President of Ghana, H.E. Mr J.A. Kufuor.

His reign has seen so many honours being bestowed on our nation, all of which have the potential of catapulting us into a middle income country by 2015. These honours also hold within them the prospects of a boost for our tourism industry as well as trade and other multi-lateral relations.

The year 2003 saw him being elected to serve two consecutive terms as ECOWAS Chairman. Then came his recent election to head the African Union (AU) in a year that we are celebrating our Golden Jubilee. These are to mention but a few.

As if the above were not enough, to crown our 50th birthday, our President, under whose leadership the country has been rated as the 9th in the world and the 1st in Africa in terms of countries that have reformed over the years, has been the first of two eminent personalities to be invited on a State Visit to visit the Queen of England.

Many are those who will attempt in diverse ways and stop at nothing to downplay the significance of such an invitation. Anyway, would they have declined it if they had the opportunity? You can’t begrudge them anyway. What else did you expect from them?

Is it not refreshing that of all the sixteen (16) African heads of state who have paid similar visits since 1954, President Kufuor happens to be the 1st Ghanaian among them?

There are enormous benefits to be derived from such a visit. An intro on state visits at the “Monarchy Today” website (www.royal.gov.uk) describes state visits as “formal visits to the UK by Heads of State from overseas with the aim of strengthening Britain’s relationships with other countries.”

In this global village where everyone is clamouring for bilateral and multilateral partners, and strong ones at that, and where interdependence is the norm, is it not a boost to our economic and tourism opportunities? Do we know of the immense benefits the country will derive from its maiden participation in the World Cup? Do you see how big time football nations are yearning to play friendly games with us? Do you know the implications of these internationally?

There are many abandoned colonial forts, castles, and other historical and monumental tourist sites in the country. With our flags flying high in Buckingham Palace and our name everywhere – newspapers, internet, etc, have we sat down to ponder on what we are likely to achieve? Before the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, how many people knew of Atlanta? For those who knew, the state of the city prior to and after the event can best be told by them.

It is these positives and potential benefits that we must focus on and at least, for once be grateful to the President whose tall good governance records, among others, have made this a reality in this our Jubilee year.

We cannot downplay the good-governance aspect because after all, the Queen herself acknowledged it. In her speech at the banquet organised in the President’s honour, the Queen, among others, had this to say:

“Ghana today is a progressive, open society. The economy is buoyant, and growth and prosperity are being fostered by a pluralistic and lively political debate and by your forward-looking development policies. These have allowed Ghana to benefit from very substantial development cooperation and debt cancellation; they promised to make a reality of your vision of Ghana as the Gateway to West Africa.

We applaud your commitment to the rule of law, your stand against corruption, and the priority you attach to investment in basic social services. These underline your determination to leave a legacy to Ghana as an increasingly stable, transparent and prosperous nation with a healthier, more skilled population.”

Let me use this opportunity to also invite our country folks in the diaspora to come home and invest as there is a thriving and vibrant enabling environment for growth. This is not to say that there are no challenges. Surely there are, but they are surmountable. When confronted with challenges, the solution is not to take to one’s heels but to endeavour to turn them into opportunities. We are confident that their experiences in the diaspora, once transported home, can help turn our challenges into opportunities. To all other potential investors I say AKWAABA!!!

Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.