The recent vandalism of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s statue in Takoradi, Western region, is a disturbing act that undermines our democratic values.
I am not a die-hard fan of Akufo-Addo or anything. But as a Ghanaian, I believe that our leaders—regardless of their flaws or accomplishments—deserve some level of respect and acknowledgement for their service to the country.
The statue, which was unveiled in November to celebrate President Akufo-Addo’s completion of promises made before taking office, was criticised by some as an act of self-glorification. However, vandalising the statue is not the solution and only serves to perpetuate a culture of disrespect and intolerance.
I can emphatically state that this act constitutes an indictable offence, which is a slippery slope that sets a dangerous precedent for future generations. This kind of revisionism is not only ahistorical but also undemocratic, and it undermines the very principles of democracy that we claim to uphold.
We seem to have lost the ability to disagree without being disagreeable. I urge the current president, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, to take action and address this issue.
As the Akan proverb goes, “𝘚ɛ 𝘸𝘰𝘬ɔ𝘵𝘰 𝘴ɛ 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘢 𝘣𝘪 𝘴𝘪 𝘸𝘰 𝘯𝘶𝘢 𝘴𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘢, 𝘮ɛ𝘯𝘯𝘬𝘢 𝘴ɛ 𝘴ɔ𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘪 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘰, 𝘬𝘢 𝘴ɛ 𝘴ɔ𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘪 𝘺ɛ𝘯 𝘴𝘰. 𝘕𝘢 𝘦𝘣𝘪𝘢 ɔ𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘪 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘰 𝘢, 𝘯𝘢 𝘸ɔ𝘥𝘦 𝘣𝘢 𝘸𝘰 𝘀𝘰.” In English, this means, “If you see a wild animal devouring your brother, save him, for when it finishes eating your brother, it will come after you.” To wit, what they have done to the former President H.E. Akuffo Addo, can be repeated to him, the current President, H.E. John Dramani Mahama. It is imperative that President Mahama takes decisive action to prevent this act from becoming a normalised and politicised behaviour that could ultimately be turned against him.
By Adjei Dickens Ofori Asare
Head of Communication, Center for Public Discourse Analysis and MIL Advocate
dickensadjei20@gmail.com
