LEGITIMACY AND AUDACITY

§ 1. INTRODUCTION
In the history of this country, former leaders of responsible positions had been worshipped and given respect due to the exemplary lives they had lived, when they were exercising their authorities entrusted to them by the citizens of the nation. Though many had preferred to continue their quiet lives in a low profile manner when they were not holding the said positions again, due to the good image they had left behind, they were continuously pestered by invitations to come into the limelight to share their experiences and ideas. No one forced himself onto the public to deal with certain things if the people had not called or officially sought help from these leaders. This manner of revering past leaders had been seen as occurring in both the political sphere and the traditional societies, where due to age and physical disabilities some leaders were asked to relinquish power or position in order for the younger ones to continue where they had left their contributions.

The purpose of this article is to call attention to the people of Ghana and also to the politicians as well as the young generation Ghanaians, that only the sitting President has legitimacy to be regarded as the prime leader of the country. So far as the nation has not adopted any meaningful theory to address this problem of “acting as a former President,” journalists must shy away from former Presidents and only approach them or make their knowledge/assertions public whenever it is a serious business, which the current President knows well about it. It is only the sitting president that has “legitimacy” and “audacity” to address very important issues in the country, and in most countries he even becomes the leader of his own party. Which means, the founding father of a political party has no audacity and also legitimacy to regard himself as the “owner” of a party that he has helped in establishing it. The members of a political party only owes the latter respect and honour for his contribution which last for a certain period but not “everlasting.”

§ 2. DEFINITIONS
The word “legitimacy” and “audacity” have been chosen by me to help deal with some of the problems that this nation is currently facing, and could in the future face as well as the society becomes sophisticated and deal with complex problems. These are words that describe and paint the picture of what people in responsible positions confront daily. “Is this a legitimate thing to do as Prime Minister or President of a nation?” “Do I have the audacity to say these words or address these problems before me or what people are requiring me to comment on?” “As former President, is it a legitimate thing to force myself on the public, let people talk about me always, or should I keep a low profile because I am no longer the powerful man in the country; and my time has come to pass?” As can be seen from these questions, they are very clear and have some logic behind them, but as one would notice, for a madman or mentally disturbed individual these questions do not mean anything. If a person had been President before he is still the President; he sees no reasons why people should regard him different and also why this former president could not say what he wants and behaves like a sitting President of the country.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary 9th Edition defines the word legitimate to mean “lawful,” “proper,” “regular,” and “conforming to the standard type.” The meaning is attached to something that is “logically admissible.” But as we relate this word to the position of the Sovereign or President, one comes to comprehend the meaning of these titles; these are based on right either conferred on someone due to hereditary or earned by being conferred by the people of a republic on their chosen leader. The latter is not permanent. An individual was president ten years ago but as regards the present time, he is not president. People only refer to him (as former President) as an “honour” and “respect” and could be deprived of being called one if this person does not comport himself well in public or in the society. It is more an individual's choice, which could never be punished in the law court if someone refused to call or address someone “former President.”

Audacity is defined as “fearless daring,” or “intrepidity.” It comes from the Latin word audax –acis meaning “bold.” It has to do with “the trait of being willing to undertake things that involve risk or danger,” such as, “the proposal required great boldness” (Free Dictionary Online). Individuals can be bold to a certain extent but only the President of a country can present some boldness as to take the whole nation to pursue a risk such as war that involve some danger, this is because he usually has the people behind him. He has power to do that. The president has audacity to do or say certain things, which an ordinary person could not because this person may not have the resources to support his assertions.

§ 3. GHANA'S EXPERIENCE
In Ghana, it has become the accepted practice where former Presidents are continuously forced into the limelight by journalists and propagandists, instead of keeping them in a low profile manner in the society to enable us distinguish between the current President and the former one. Even when something is happening around them in private or they are performing certain functions, people prefer to make such things an issue in the public newspapers. As people continue to make these fatal mistakes, they enable these gentlemen who are supposed to be in retirement forever from this position to come to the fore. The result is catastrophic mistakes and blunders for those that cannot distinguish between “legitimacy” and “audacity.” It is true that people have been coached as to know who is a sitting President and a former President; the latter who only receives this honour for having occupied the position before. But for the sake of mentally disturbed men in the society, journalists and propagandists should be capable of keeping those things that happened around these forgone Presidents who shall never become Presidents again out of the limelight.

In the developed countries, except the occasion where it is vital for these foregone Presidents to be called upon to share their experiences to the public and to the media, journalists and comedians only write about them in the family journals and less serious newspapers. This helps the public and those mental patients who do not know the difference between the sitting President and the foregone Presidents to feel at ease and learn about the active one who is “legitimate” and “audacious.” It also helps certain individuals not to come out and utter certain things as if they are still being given the reception of Presidents due to the illusion that is created around them that makes people feel as if these former Presidents are liked by the people.

§ 4. BEHAVIOUR OF AFRICANS
The general behaviour of Africans is to adore their Presidents, which is a good idea. Some individuals would go to the extent of prostrating on the ground for a former President to walk over them. But this is usually deception that the people themselves cannot come to terms with whether this is real or fantasy. But this adoration has to be there so long as this person executes his responsibility as the leader of the country. As soon as he is no longer the leader, it has to cease. It is true that this problem has come about due to poverty and illiteracy, which is common in these countries. So it makes someone who could give money either stolen or worked for it to the street boys to hail just as Jesus was hailed. The problem results to the apportioning of cheap popularity, which could easily deceive someone who, had been in power before that the people love him and his accomplishments. Supposing by any means this person were to die and stand around at the same time by the aid of a mysterious power to witness the time of his death or a misfortune, he would recognise immediately that the whole popularity that he thought he had was just an illusion.

§ 5. DETESTABLE AND HUMILIATING
The idea that a forgone President (who shall never become President again) would be tolerated to behave like the sitting President, and be respected and revered in public while this inappropriate behaviour confuses many ignorant or illiterates people and the mentally disturbed, is detestable and humiliating. Ghanaian journalists and writers should know and be educated to detect what is relevant to write for the society. There are many interesting things to write about than to confuse the less developed and the mentally disturbed in our society. Let the family journals and other less important journals write and joke with our forgone Presidents and their families, who need to be kept in the low profile manner or out of the limelight. Also, please desist from making someone a hero for Ghanaians do not want any family dynasty in the country in future. We should be sensitive to others' need, for none of us would like to be Presidents while someone who had already enjoyed his days would be coming up now and then pretending to a be better/saint. Or he could do well if he were to be given the position, which he had already occupied before. This behaviour demeans a sitting President. If this advice is difficult to comprehend, then I shall suggest that you follow the history of the United States of America, which are a model as well as a powerful country in the world to emulate. How do these gentlemen and women behave toward their former Presidents?

§ 6. FARMING AND OTHER INDUSTRIES
President Jimmy Cater, the distinguished President of the USA was a farmer. When he retired from the Presidency, he went back to continue his profession as a wealthy farmer. Later during his old age, he is involved in peace initiatives all around the world. He does not criticise President Obama. General Obasanjo, when he resigned as Military leader of the Republic of Nigeria, he became a wealthy farmer, rearing livestock outside Abeokuta in the Ogun State. When became the President of the Republic of Nigeria through constitutional election and later retired from the Presidency, he is now a low profile man who is well respected in the whole world. He is scarcely seen in public and enjoys his peace of life. President Clinton, after his retirement from the Presidency is now having his own company and lives among the ordinary people that cherish him and adore him. Hardly coming out to criticise President Obama. President Kufour of Ghana since his retirement has been given a very important assignment, which includes his travelling to deal with peace around the world. He hardly utters words of vindictiveness. He kept his low profile way of life and only comes out when he is invited. Prime Minister Göran Person of Sweden, after his retirement lives in his village. He keeps his low profile life and hardly comes out in the limelight. Though he attends his party's conferences. He has never criticised the sitting President of the ruling party nor the leader of his own party. Finally, Prime Minister Tony Blair had never shown any interest of coming another term to become Prime Minister. He has been travelling around in the world giving lectures in very important Universities in the world. He does not own the Labour Party in Great Britain.

§ 7. GHANA, FUTURE, AND THEORIES ON LEADERS OF STATES

Unless Ghanaians decide to follow a special paradigm or theory to guide them concerning how to deal with and cater for their presidents, all former Presidents should retire from politics and continue their private lives in a low profile manner. They should not give trouble to the sitting President because their chances have been utilised and there is no way they could come back to become Presidents of their countries. Only deluded individuals will think that some problems could occur whereby there shall not be no person among the 22 million inhabitants, which could allow them to be called back again. But when an individual president has been so negligent as murders and assassinations had occurred rampantly during his governing period, then it is only a deluded member of his or her family members that shall contemplate of becoming President of this same country. For while he had been hundred percent engaged in his work we had registered so many deaths than any president that came to power. What would it be like when he would not be engaged in any work at all?

§ 8. CONCLUDING REMARKS
“A word to the wise is enough”.