A medical doctor, author and politician, Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy, has expressed concern over the governance style of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, highlighting the stark contrast between the rhetoric of then candidate Mr Akufo-Addo and President Akufo-Addo.
Dr Kennedy recalls that before assuming office, President Akufo-Addo confided to him his concerns about the excessive powers vested in the Executive by the Constitution.
President Akufo-Addo believes this makes it difficult to hold the president accountable for his actions.
Speaking on Joy News AM Show, Dr Kennedy narrated a past conversation he had with President Akufo-Addo in which the then candidate said he preferred a prime ministerial system over a presidential system, saying the latter had provisions for checks and balances between colleagues.
However, Dr Kennedy now finds himself unable to reconcile the laudable views he held of President Akufo-Addo before the 2016 elections with his actions since 2017 as president.
“The president once told me, ‘I don’t like the presidential system’. I asked him why and he said, ‘It gives too much power to one person,'” recalled Dr Kennedy, who is also a leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“He said, ‘In a prime ministerial system, you’re only the leader among equals, so your colleagues can rein you in if you become too dictatorial.’ I was very impressed to hear that from him. And then when I compare that to the person I see now as president, it’s very difficult for me to reconcile the two,” he continued.
Dr Kennedy expressed disappointment that President Akufo-Addo has embraced the very power he once criticised and has failed to uphold the constitutional principles and sense of legitimacy he once defended.
“I’m surprised. You know, apart from everything else, I would have expected that we could rely on him to be someone who would uphold constitutional principles like respect for boundaries, civility, making sure the country doesn’t come to harm,” he said.
“Opportunity after opportunity comes his way and the impression is that he does not have the capacity to implement them. It is sad to see,” Dr Kennedy lamented, reflecting on the President’s missed opportunities to uphold the values of Ghana’s Constitution.
TWI News
GA/Sarah
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