Akufo-Addo Says Nelson Mandela Would’ve Endorsed Ghana Beyond Aid

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is optimistic the legendary Nelson Mandela, late President of South Africa, would have happily endorsed the Ghana Beyond Aid project being championed by his government.

According to President Akufo-Addo, Nelson Mandela’s conduct on foreign policy reinforced the importance he attached, as an African leader, to independence of actions to accomplish stated goals.

“I have no doubt that he would have happily endorsed our Ghana Beyond Aid project, whose goal is to free the Ghanaian state and economy from dependence and reliance on foreign aid and assistance, in order to build the free, prosperous, self-reliant nation that was the dream of our founding founders,” he remarked.

He wondered how Mr Mandela would have reacted to the intervention of foreign diplomats in the national discourse of African states, when, with the best of intentions, they advocate constitutional and governance prescriptions for our guidance.

“I suspect that, like me, he would have thought it was not their place to do so.” President Akufo-Addo was speaking at a lecture commemorating the centenary celebration of the late Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, on the theme “Be the legacy”, on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, at the Labadi Beach Hotel, Accra, Ghana.

He passionately recounted the life of Nelson Mandela, and the benefit it had on his country, South Africa, and the entire African Continent.

Nelson Mandela, President Akufo-Addo said, possessed a very unique personality, full of encouragement, and one that every individual could look up to, to attain higher heights.

He noted: “The actual measure of the man emerged when South Africa needed him the most. I would, daresay, suggest that for the rest of the continent, the biggest and most important legacy he has left for us is one of inspired leadership. Be the legacy that was Nelson Mandela.”

Organised by the South African mission in Ghana, the lecture assembled most, if not all the tribes in South Africa, with some of them clad in their beautiful traditional outfits, that really defines heritage, to mark the 100th Birthday of Mr Mandela.

Some unique dances from the Southern part of Africa energised almost every corner of the precinct of the hotel, as clients, who were lodging at the hotel, moved close to catch a glimpse of the cultural displays.

President Akufo-Addo noted that his early adult years were marked with the story of Mandela the prisoner, and the long struggle to bring democracy to South Africa.

President Akufo-Addo hailed the kind heartedness of the man who was imprisoned for about 27 years for advocating for freedom, but he made no compromises in his dealings with those who might not have been perceived as part of the great and the good, but who had supported him and the African National Congress (ANC), when it was not fashionable to do so.

He added that much to the discomfiture of the western powers, Fidel Castro of Cuba and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, who did not treat Mandel nicely, were honoured guests at Mandela's presidential inauguration.

In his speech, President Akufo-Addo indicated that Nelson Mandela had a word to people who felt that, at least, Fidel Castro and Gaddafi should not have been at the inauguration.

He said: “Moral authority dictates that we should not abandon those who helped us in the darkest hour. Not only did the Libyans support us in return, they gave us the resources for us to conduct our struggle, and to win. And those South Africans who have berated me for being loyal to our friends, can, literally, go and jump into a pool,” President Akufo-Addo quoted.