Busia has been treated unfairly in Ghana’s political history — Kufuor
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has said Ghana’s former Prime Minister, Prof Kofi Abrefa Busia, has not received fair treatment in the country’s political history.
He said several decisions taken by Prof Busia during his time in office have been criticised without sufficient consideration of the circumstances under which they were made.
Mr Kufuor was speaking at the 2026 Busia Institute Lecture in London on Sunday, August 9, where he reflected on the legacy of the late Prime Minister and Ghana’s centre-right political tradition.
“Professor Busia has been treated unfairly in the political history of our country. His most criticised decisions were all taken in the determined effort to get the young nation Ghana back on its feet, to move from a state of shambles to one owned and driven by citizens,” he said.
According to Mr Kufuor, Prof Busia was a selfless leader who sacrificed greatly for Ghana and asked little in return.
He noted that the political tradition founded by Prof Busia was kept out of power for nearly three decades following the overthrow of his government on January 13, 1972.
Mr Kufuor said the tradition eventually returned to power in 2001 through the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which he described as a successor party of the Busia tradition.
He said his own political career was deeply influenced by Prof Busia, whom he described as his chief mentor.
The former President further called for the continued preservation of Prof Busia’s legacy and political philosophy as part of Ghana’s democratic history.