How l wish President Nana Akufo-Addo and others could emulate this one quality of late President J. J. Rawlings

Some Ghanaians for their selfish and parochial interests have cultivated that most deplorable habit of backbiting and gossiping about others.

They do that just to sow seeds of discord among friends, families and married couples, all out of sheer envy overflowing from the abundance of their evil-mindedness and the chronic Ghanaian "pull him down " syndrome.

Those doing that are always with the intention to break down whatever good relationship and trust there are existing between people; replace such cordially relationship with bitter animosity, separate friends and then finally take over the position of their targeted victims.

Without beating about the bush unnecessarily, let me recount this admirable incident that happened in the life of former and late President J. J. Rawlings.

How l want this true story to become an emulation to leaders, friends and married couples and as a cardinal pillar on which relationships and trust are built to be able to weed out gossipers, saboteurs and wolves clothed in lambskin from our lives and midst.

Then President Jerry John Rawlings appointed Dr Kwabena Duffour the Governor of Bank of Ghana.

I am emphasising to President Nana Akufo-Addo and other leaders, politicians and or, ordinary Ghanaians, to take keen note of this shining leadership quality creditably exhibited by President Rawlings in a moment where saboteurs presenting themselves as true and trusted colleagues had intended to ill-influence him.

Once, some NDC government ministers approached then President J. J. Rawlings at his seat of government, thus, Osu Castle.

They told him untruths about Dr Kwabena Duffour, his appointed Governor of Bank of Ghana.

They did that all because they had in mind Dr Kwabena Duffour was an NPP member and therefore, should not be offered such a lucrative position by an NDC President while there are many qualified NDC members out there to do the same job.

Again, they felt they could not easily manipulate Dr Kwabena Duffour to do their bidding and probably that of the NDC party to enrich themselves or enhance their positions as ministers and a party hence he has to be gotten rid of.

While they were in the office of the President, narrated their clearly evil-intended allegations against Dr Kwabena Duffour, President Rawlings briefly excused himself.

He returned to the office to continue to listen to what those ministers had against Dr Kwabena Duffour.

No sooner had he returned to the office than Dr Kwabena Duffour emerged from nowhere.

What does this tell you?
When President Rawlings popped outside for a few minutes, little did his visiting ministers know that he had gone to phone up Dr Kwabena Duffour to quickly proceed to Osu Castle for an urgent meeting.

When Dr Kwabena Duffour within minutes appeared in the President's office to the surprise of the seated ministers, President Rawlings stood on his feet, pointed to the ministers and said, "Kwabena is here. Tell him all that you have told me about him so that he can answer you, or l can ask him questions"

None of the ministers could open their mouth but were awash in complete shame with some bowing down their head.

President Rawlings insisted they told Dr Kwabena Duffour or repeated to him all that they had said to him, President Rawlings, in the absence of Dr Duffour.

They could not.
Rawlings then recounted all that they had said about Dr Duffour to him a few minutes ago, now right in the presence of both the ministers and Dr Duffour.

He then told the ministers that Dr Duffour for almost every hour or day, updates him on the monetary and fiscal (financial) situation of the nation in relation to the economy, whereas his own appointed but immediate retired Ewe/Anlo tribesman Governor of Bank of Ghana, Dr Godfried Kportufe Agama, would for three months and over not tell him anything about the financial position of the country and how it was prudently or otherwise, being managed.

That was the level of respect President Rawlings had for Dr Kwabena Duffour and his hatred for perpetrators of lies, gossipers and those who for their selfish interests may want to create animosity between people through backbiting, fabrication of lies, envy and whatnot.

Some people from my own Kumawu Constituency have on several occasions gone to tell lies about Philip Basoah, the Member of Parliament for the constituency, to President Nana Akufo-Addo.

The President has not on a single occasion bothered to invite Basoah over to find out the truth, but simply taken to disliking him and keeping him arm's length away from him.

This built animosity towards Basoah is detrimental to the constituency and the constituents in every facet of the distribution of the national cake. It has impacted on the development of the constituency.

I will conclude by suggesting to the President and other political leaders or leaders in general, to endeavour to emulate that quality of President Rawlings as told above.

Don't shield liars by keeping their identity secret. Just tell them you will find out from the person they have come to talk about by mentioning them in your investigation.

Rockson Adofo
Tuesday, 28 March 2023