Mr. Kevin Taylor-ex President Kufuor Deserves Better Recognition

I write this article with sadness. I have always believed that public service is a noble duty, to be carried out with honour, and that despite their faults, all our former Presidents and the current incumbent deserve the utmost respect. Let me be clear: I have never doubted Mr. Kevin Taylor’s sincerity in seeking the best for his country, even though his way of addressing some important socio-economic issues may not appeal to many ordinary Ghanaians.

Moreover, government is the primary means by which we, as Ghanaians, pursue the common good that we cannot achieve individually. Readers may judge for themselves whether successive governments in Ghana, since independence, have fulfilled their basic obligations to the people.

For example, have successive governments invested in human capital rather than simply acting as regulators? Have they provided the services needed to sustain a stable society? Have they ensured that markets function fairly and effectively? Have their actions advanced social well-being and fostered a more inclusive society?

I could write much more about how effective democratic governments function and fulfil their obligations to the people, and whether our country has met the key standards of a decent, balanced democratic state. I leave that to discerning readers to judge.

Against that broader backdrop, one point should be clear: Mr. Kevin Taylor has every right to criticize former President Kufuor’s performance in office. That is his legitimate democratic right. I have no objection to any commentator or Ghanaian engaging in robust, balanced, and fair discourse on the political landscape of our country. Long may it continue.

Even so, history will judge us all. I have no personal quarrel with Mr. Kevin Taylor, but I was disappointed that, in his anecdotal assessment of former President Kufuor, he appeared to humiliate him by suggesting that he was lazy and should “stand up and walk.”

That was deeply saddening and, to use a common expression, amounted to “hitting below the belt.” I remember clearly that former President George H. W. Bush was also wheeled around in his later years.

For the sake of posterity, I wish to set the record straight. On February 28, 2012, at the Cardiothoracic Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, former President John Kufuor underwent a successful two-hour spinal surgery. The operation was performed by a team of local doctors led by Dr. Oheneba Boachie-Adjei. After the operation, President Kufuor praised the team and said, “Ghana should be proud to have such a competent pool of talent.”

To describe a former President who requires dedicated staff assistance to walk as lazy is deeply sad, humiliating, and condescending. To go further and describe ASP Antwi, Auntie Araba, Kwasi Amoako, and other dedicated staff as fools for assisting an ailing former President of the Republic is beyond common decency.

I have no further comment. Nyame ne Hene.

As for his record in office, posterity will judge. As I noted earlier, Mr. Kevin Taylor, like all of us, expects governments of every persuasion to meet their basic obligations to the people.

In government, mishaps and policy errors in analysis, delivery, and implementation are inevitable. One such policy, developed and implemented by ex-President Kufuor and which was opposed by many Ghanaians, was the award of 515 gold medals costing more than $1.4 million to various individuals and himself.

The criticism may have been justified, given the cost of the awards at a time of economic hardship in Ghana and concerns about misplaced priorities. The debate that followed over this use of public resources was constructive, vigorous, civil, and healthy for Ghana’s democratic dispensation.

However, Ghanaians should remember that President Kufuor achieved a great deal between 2001 and 2009, and those accomplishments deserve recognition. When he took office in early 2001, he successfully negotiated with President Olusegun Obasanjo for the supply of 30,000 barrels of crude oil per day. That supply proved a crucial lifeline, helping to prevent the collapse of the Ghanaian economy when the country had only six days of fuel reserves left.

Space does not permit a full list of his achievements, but a few notable examples are:

1. Social and Healthcare Interventions

1. Introduction of free maternal healthcare services in all public hospitals in Ghana;
2. Replacement of the “cash-and-carry” system in public hospitals;
3. Enrollment of millions of Ghanaians onto the National Health Insurance Scheme;
4. Construction of more than 205 hospitals and clinics;
5. Completion of the Accident Centre at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital;
6. Implementation of the National School Feeding Programme;
7. Increase in primary school enrollment by nearly 25%;
8. Expansion of the SSS curriculum from three to four years;
Creation of the National Ambulance Service.

2. Economic Management

1. Ghana benefited from the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Programme;
2. Ghana secured a $500 million grant from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Account;
3. Under his leadership, Ghana discovered oil in commercial quantities in 2007;
4. GDP grew from roughly $2.6 billion in 2000 to $11 billion by 2008;
5. Redenomination of the cedi.

3. Infrastructure Expansion

1. Expansion of the road network from 39,000 kilometres to 65,000 kilometres;
2. Construction of the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange;
3. Construction of the N1 Motorway (George Bush Highway);
4. Construction of the Bui Dam;
5. Completion of the Jubilee House Presidential Palace.

4. Recognition as a Statesman

1. Through the peer review process, Ghana became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to submit to the NEPAD peer review mechanism;
2. He was named joint winner of the 2011 World Food Prize for policies that reduced poverty and hunger;
3. On February 12, 2012, he was selected by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to join a select group of former heads of state and government seeking solutions to the lack of access to education in deprived parts of the world.

In conclusion, I do not seek to defend the former President. The plain fact is that, as far as possible, we must all show respect, decorum, and civility toward the current incumbent, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, and all former Presidents.

We must respect the institution of the Presidency, not merely the individual who holds it. We should also remember that those who once occupied that unique and significant office continue to deserve recognition as elder statesmen.

May the Good Lord bless, guide, and sustain the current incumbent and all former Presidents. Mr. Kevin Taylor, President Kufuor deserve an apology!

God Bless Ghana
Appiah-Danquah Kufuor

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