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His last parade, Kufuor, the man who
uplifted his nation
E. Ablorh-Odjidja, Ghanadot.com
At the Black Star Square, also known as Independence Square, President
John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday reviewed the parade that
will be regarded as his final
Independence Day Anniversary celebration as
Commander-in-Chief and CEO of
the nation of Ghana.
The gravity of the moment and its historical significance
did not escape the President as he
acknowledged to the throng that had assembled for the
parade the feelings that were swelling inside him:
“It is with some emotion that I review this parade for the
last time as Head of State and Government,” said President Kufuor.
"Next year, God willing, I shall be watching the proceedings
from the stands. Though I am moved, I should say
nonetheless, that I am grateful for the opportunity to have
served this nation as President for two consecutive terms
… by the grace of God and by the wishes of the people, who
exercised their right of choice given to them by the
Constitution." He continued.
Thus, the man who came to power in 2001 on his second
attempt, and after tough fought publicly held elections,
gave the signal that he would depart at the end of the year.
He would not hang around to drag the country down. He would
give others a chance to rule.
As he expressed his gratitude to God and his country, some
wondered whether he understood that his country, in return,
owed him some gratitude too. For, never, in the history of
Ghana had there been such a peaceful and prosperous period
under a chief executive.
Those who are yet to measure the man’s stature must simply
do this: Look at the entire African landscape and compare
him to those who have made mad rush for power – killing and
maiming their way to rule only to arrive at the naked moment
of truth that they had no understanding of what it took to
govern a people.
Then compare them to this quiet man, not given to bombastic
statements, yet quietly on the move, fixing and turning
things, just so he could endow his people with enough
self-esteem to last generations and then some.
This is the stature of the man who at the end of this year
will depart as Ghana’s president.
Kufuor cannot be described as the father of the nation only
because history has denied him that opportunity by the
simple dictates of the date of his birth. Otherwise, he
would have done well in that role too. And should history
decide to cast a modern version after 1966, he certainly
would be the only candidate.
But as a young man who grew up in the shadows of the
founding fathers, he certainly learned his lessons well,
took from all sides of Ghana’s political tradition and never
discarded a good idea because it came from the other side.
He is the man who can be comfortable and proud of the
achievements of Nkrumah, yet proclaim that he belongs to the
Danquah-Busiah tradition. The result is a benefit for modern
Ghana – an ultra dimension of fame, and fortune for his
country Ghana.
Tall, regal, and quiet, you could not help noticing while in
his presence that Kufuor is a man who was born to rule. Yet,
despite this amazing charismatic presence, he has good grasp
of his limits as a ruler – always the first to acknowledge
that the rule of law surpasses the whim of the individual –
even that of a president with the stature and excellent
reputation such as his.
For the years to come, Kufuor behavior and performance as
president will be among the foremost standards by which
African leaders are measured. Constitutionally elected as
president, peacefully without a bullet shot, Kufuor is about
to end his term according to the dictates of the same
constitution that brought him to power. Chances are that,
even in retirement, he would set new standards for the
proper behavior of an ex president.
Kufuor certainly will be remembered as the man who gave
Ghana a real chance for peace, and prosperity; the man with
the Midas touch who has established for Ghana reservoirs of
goodwill while building a strong bridge for good governance.
As Kufuor stood on the parade ground on the morning of March
6, 2008, some 51 years after independence, the future of
Ghana still played on his mind - the military marches and
the Air Force flights overhead being things and dressings of
the moment.
For President Kufuor, it was important that his fellow
citizens “not d\well on the losses” brought to them by past
military coups; and the events “that disrupted the forward
march of democratic governance for the country.” Rather,
they should take from these calamities the lessons that only
history could provide in order to help build a good future
for the country.
The hope is what comes after President Kufor may not be too
different.
E. Ablorh-Odjidja, Publisher
www.ghanadot.com, Washington, DC, March 6, 2008
Permission to publish: Please feel free to publish or
reproduce, with credits, unedited. If posted at a website,
email a copy of the web page to
publisher@ghanadot.com . Or don't publish at all.
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