"Kufuor should have worn kente"

A cross section of the public has criticised President Kufuor's dress for yesterday's Independence Day celebrations.

President Kufuor's western wear did not go unnoticed by those who felt he should have worn traditional Ghanaian attire in keeping with the mood of the occasion.

But not everyone agrees.

Many people, young and old, who trooped to the Independence Square yesterday to witness the celebrations, were clothed in the national colours and mostly traditional attires to demonstrate their patriotism and pride.

But President Kufuor's suit although smart, did not go unnoticed by many who thought his outfit was not just appropriate for the occasion.

Many callers into JOY FM Super Morning Show say the president could have done better for the occasion.

“We are celebrating our 50th anniversary and we know that at least let's also try and portray our products in Ghana here. I think President Kufuor is all the time wearing coat but yesterday should have been a day of him putting on a kente cloth. It was really disappointing. I would use this medium to thank Professor Mills for at least making Ghana proud by putting on kente”.

“It's really interesting but sometimes we need to project show case our own culture. Obsanjo can be credited for that. We also have to commend the Vice President for being in traditional attire. What is happening to our President?”

But not everyone agrees. Popular MC and former radio host Kwesi Kyei Darkwa believes the important thing was for the President to look smart, which he did.

“I still think it would have been a fantastic opportunity to promote some African fabric, be it kente or some African cloth to promote this thing we have come to accept as the African personality. But in all fairness you can also start thinking of the fact that accepting the suit as an international mode of dressing, as a Ghanaian mode of dressing which is worn to our offices, the law courts and in many enterprises and has come to be accepted as a Ghanaian mode of dress".

"People should leave the President too wear what he wants to wear especially when he hasn't made an idiot of himself dressed the way he was yesterday. He looked respectable. I'm happy that a good number of others who support him wore the kente and were not all over the place like him. They were seated".

"They were sweating beneath their pits; they had to wipe it all the time with their handkerchiefs. I don't want my President hustling like that.”