KEY POINTS
- Mahama argues leaders should avoid self-praise.
- Akufo-Addo’s actions reflect lack of humility, Mahama says.
- True recognition should come from the people, not self-promotion.
Following President Nana Akufo-Addo’s unveiling of a statue of himself in Ghana’s Western Region, former President John Mahama denounced Akufo-Addo for what he called “self-glorification,” arguing that such acts betray a lack of humility.
Mahama questions Akufo-Addo’s self-glorification with statue unveiling
According to myjoyonline, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mahama, contended that Akufo-Addo had to show humility by letting others honor his accomplishments rather than pursuing personal recognition. Mahama’s comments followed the statue’s inauguration on Wednesday, November 6, at the entrance to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi. On a one-day “thank you” excursion in the Western Region, Akufo-Addo was in the region.
The statue was meant to commemorate the President’s development projects and enduring contributions to the region, according to Western Regional Minister Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah. Mahama, however, maintained that leaders should put the needs of the people first and refrain from making gestures that come across as self-congratulatory.
Recently, he visited Takoradi and unveiled a statue of himself. What makes this possible? Mahama enquired. “Humbleness is a must for every president. It should be other people who honor and praise you. Making your own statue, showing it off, and expecting applause is not permitted.
Mahama says genuine recognition should be public-driven
Akufo-Addo was also chastised by the previous president for taking honorary degrees from academic institutions while in office. According to Mahama, the President ought to have held off on pursuing or accepting such honours until after his mandate was over.
Mahama implied that such acts would come to be seen as self-serving when he remarked, “You go to every university across the country and ask them to give you a doctorate while you are still a sitting president.” “He ought to have even waited until the end of his term so that people could say, ‘You did very well, and we want to honour you,’ after seeing his work.”
“But instead, he has pressured universities across the country to award him honorary doctorates,” Mahama said in closing, highlighting his conviction that genuine acknowledgement ought to flow organically from the populace.
