WELL DONE, PRESIDENT (NOV 22, 2008)

THE Council of State held a meeting with President J.A. Kufuor last Thursday, during which the council commended the President for his selfless service to Ghanaians.
In his introductory remarks at the quarterly meeting with the President, the Chairman of the council, Professor Daniel Adzei-Bekoe, congratulated the President warmly on his many achievements — from overcoming the HIPC economic condition at the beginning of his tenure in 2001 to the several successes and legacies which he was about to leave for his successor.
The council also mentioned physical monuments such as impressive football stadia in Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi and Tamale, as well as the magnificent Golden Jubilee House, which seems to have generated so much discussion over priorities and values.
We are not unaware that a section of the public will misconstrue the commendation of the President by the council, but this is to be expected in a diverse and polarised society.
Whatever our political differences, we should be able to recognise the performance of even our arch political opponents and publicly acknowledge their contributions to national development efforts.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that President Kufuor has paid his due during his tenure and that it will be a mark of ingratitude to ignore his achievements while the international community trumpets his contributions to world peace and development.
The list of policy initiatives will be inexhaustive but suffice it, on this occasion, to enumerate a few.
At the beginning of his tenure, President Kufuor adopted the HIPC initiative, much against the popular position at the time, repealed the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law, introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme, the Capitation Grant, the School Feeding Programme, Free Health Care for Pregnant Women and embarked on major infrastructural renewal in the road, health and educational sectors.
No matter the spin that is given to an assessment of President Kufuor’s tenure, the DAILY GRAPHIC thinks his tenure deserves to be celebrated because he has brought honour to Ghana.
The country’s rating in the international community is quite impressive because of our remarkable economic and political credentials. We have held four successful elections since 1992 without the violence associated with elections in other countries, while our economy remains relatively stable, even when advanced economies are on the brink of recession.
The DAILY GRAPHIC concedes that there are other areas that the government could have performed better, such us confronting corruption in a more robust manner, dealing with the unemployment problem, as well as better service conditions for all public sector workers.
As the President works hard to end his tenure, let us give praise where it is due and graciously draw attention to the shortcomings, so that his successor can avoid those pitfalls.
Furthermore, we urge all well-meaning Ghanaians to share in the glory of the President, for although leadership is a heavy responsibility, the present government has performed creditably with the support of the people.
However, for those who still think that the President deserves no such commendation, we remind them of the Akan adage, “Se wotan okwaduo a, na wayi ne mmrika”, to wit, “even if you hate the duiker, you must acknowledge its speed”.