Opinions of Monday, 16 April 2007
Columnist: Amankwah, Nana Kofi
Many New Patriotic Party presidential aspirants (NPP) are fighting to get power from their party delegates to become the nominee of their party’s presidential candidate. Some of these individuals who are fighting for these positions are just “jokers”. They are just seeking attention from the media to boost their egocentric behaviors.
The requirement for the presidency is not a mere beauty contest where people can just jump into it and display themselves and put on a show. These positions necessitate many experiences such as knowledge in government, an ability to handle peer pressure, tolerance, humility, God fearful person, strong education background especially in economics, political science, Law, management skills, affective policy making abilities, dedications to serve people by putting the interest of the nation first, the ability to act during national crisis without yielding to others who will be putting pressures for their interest ahead of the nation and finally, a person who is not self serving in his personal interest. These are the concepts in qualities and expectations from someone to be elect on leadership that will be proficient of leading a nation. These individuals should examine themselves to make sure their personalities are compatible with this profile.
In essence, the former information minister Dan Kweku Botwe and the former presidential press secretary, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong should re-examine themselves to see if they have what it takes to become a president. Nobody should ever take these individuals seriously. They don’t possess the aforementioned characteristic of experiences that the nation needs from someone to lead. They believe that because they held their former positions for just two or four years gives them enough experience to lead the nation. This is a “joke”. Kwabena Agyepon was removed from his position as a press secretary; he was offered another position at the Ministry of Sports and education but he decline, he believe he is bigger than the people whom he was asked to serve. Ghanaians do not need such egocentric person to become their leader. Running for presidency requires experience in governing a state or region with good governance experience or a parliamentarian that has held a finance committee leadership with almost 15 years of experience, or an active politician in politics that has the ability to face a corrupt ruling government with innovative ideas. However, Agyepong have the audacity of making references in comparisons between himself, Bill Clinton and Vladimer Puting that these individuals become president for their countries in early ages. When Clinton was 28 years he was a governor, he held that position for almost twenty years with experience. He was awarded the best governor of the nation in three consecutive times. These experiences help his course to run for the presidency and won it.
Vladimir Puting of Russian was 24 years as Russian intelligent officer in (KGB) he moved up to head the unity and also gain 10 years economics governing experiences from his boss, Boris Yelson with submissive to his leaders. So Kwabena Agyepong where is your expertise in this? Dan Kweku Botwe, recently indicates that if he becomes the next president he will fight corruption like never before; my point is, you were a minister who belong to the cabinet, where was your brain on these issues? You could not recommend such ideas to help your party and your government subsequently why now? When Dan Botwe was a minister of information he spent most of his weekends in Holland, what were you doing over there? Now Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey wanted to become the NPP presidential candidate. The Bible says “we have the right for everything in life but not all things are good for us,” Jake it will be within your own interest to stick to your ministry of the tourism and help the nation build a stronger tourism sector for the nation. The skills you have do not exemplify you to be recommended for the position of the presidency. First of all, in order for him to think of becoming the president for our nation he should explain his skills of economic knowledge of governing a nation, he must also explain his business relationships between the Mormons in Salt Lake Valley in Utah and his administration.