President Akufo-Addo has narrated how he helped to secure victory for former Secretary to President John Dramani Mahama in the recent election for African Union (AU) top job during the just-ended 28th Summit of the AU.
Diplomat and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs under the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, Thomas Kwesi Quartey, contested and won the position of Deputy Chairman of the AU Commission (AUC).
But that did not come on a silver platter as he himself has admitted and has since been thanking President Akufo-Addo and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) government for the support offered him.
Quartey, who contested the election with five others, was not certain of victory without the backing of the new administration.
Revelations
At a meeting with the Ghanaian community in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa Tuesday evening, the president narrated how he defied even the counsel of his own party faithful to throw his weight behind Mr Kwesi Quartey.
Present at the meeting was Ghana’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Albert Yankey and members of the mission; Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey; Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo; Deputy Chief of Staff, Francis Asenso-Boakye; Minister-designate for Aviation, Cecilia Dapaah and Minister-designate for Information, Mustapha Hamid.
The rest included former Foreign Minister, James Victor Gbeho; former National Security Coordinator, Lt Col. Larry Gbevlo-Lartey and former anti-corruption crusader whose subtle defence of corruption under President Mahama government made people to doubt his credibility, Daniel Batidam.
Nana Akufo-Addo recalled that immediately after the 2016 general election which saw him becoming president, his predecessor, President Mahama, informed him about the candidature of Mr Kwesi Quartey, who was contesting as Deputy Chair of the AU Commission.
Details
“I think he was a little bit hesitant; thinking that his association with Quartey will put me off,” Nana observed.
But when he [Mahama] told him and asked of his view, President Akufo-Addo recalled telling then President Mahama, “That’s a very good idea; I know the man and I know his competence and I know he is capable of the job and that he will fly the flag of Ghana very high so I have no hesitation in my mind the idea of supporting his candidature.”
The president said when he told a few of his colleagues [obviously referring to his party men], “their responses were a little bit different; the idea being that he has been deputy minister in an NDC government; he has been Secretary to the President.”
According to President Akufo-Addo, he could not but stand his ground and supported the man, claiming, “I said no; he is a Ghanaian and he has the ability and we have to mobilise all the talents; so I have no hesitation, I’m going to tell the Foreign Minister-designate at that time to make sure that our service here and around the world is mobilized to support his candidature.”
Principle
That, he said, was due to the fact that “I’ve never believed in uniformity of ideas…I don’t believe that I’m president and everybody should agree with me. No! I don’t think that’s correct.”
Instead, he indicated, “I think we should have our differences in opinion; what we need to do is to as much as possible find a way of building consensus so that the various opinions can harmonise.”
He could not but thank Ambassador Victor Gbeho, who went from country to country campaigning for Kwesi Quartey, saying, “At least your work was not in vain; it has been crowned with resounding success. We are all grateful to you.”
Source: Daily Guide
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The man Nana Addo is just a phenomenal. He is simply exceptional
I am not surprised because I know the man we have as leader of the nation, he is a father and that also a hallmark of the NPP. In 2003/4 presidential Kufuor also vouched for Dr. Ibn Chambas who had just been elected into office as an NDC MP for Binbinlla, yet the government of the day mad sure he won that position and today he is one of Ghana's distinguished ambassador.HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akofu Addo your really a Bigggg statesman and God richly bless you
THE CHARACTER, ATTITUDE AND ACTIONS OF NPP PRESIDENTS AS STATESMEN AND ALL EMBRACING LEADERS IS VERY MUCH OUTSTANDING. THEY ARE NOT MYOPIC AND PESSIMISTIC AND THEY HAVE NO INFERIORITY COMPLEX. THEY THINK BIG FOR GHANA AND SUPPORT GHANAIANS FOR HIGHER GOALS AND ACHIEVEMENTS, IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR POLITICAL INCLINATION. NDC LEADERS ARE VERY DIFFERENTLY. E.G. WHEN KUFUOR WAS CONSIDERED FOR IBRAHIM MO AWARD FOR BEST AFRICAN LEADER AT HIS TIME, THE NDC GOVERNMENT UNDER MILLS SECRETLY SENT A DELEGATION UNDER EX VICE CHANCELLOR OF A PROMINENT UNIVERSITY IN GHANA TO OPPOSE HIS CHOICE FOR THE AWARD. ALAN KYEREMATENG WHEN AT AFRICAN UNION OFFICE IN ETHIOPIA WAS HIGHLY TIPPED FOR THE TOP OFFICE OF THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION. IF THE THEN NDC GOVERNMENT HAD GENUINELY GIVEN HIM THE NEEDED SUPPORT HE WOULD HAVE WON THE TOP OFFICE FOR GHANA. KUFFUOR AND AKUFFO ADDO AS GOOD AND NATIONAL ORIENTED LEADERS SUPPORT GHANAIANS WHO GET THE OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENT WHICH TO ENHANCES THE IMAGE OF GHANA BEYOND A POLITICAL PARTY. KUFFUOR SUPPORTED IBIN CHAMBERS AND SPIO GABRAH FOR IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL OFFICES. NOW AKKUFO ADDO HAS BEGUN TO EXHIBIT SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS.THEY THINK BEYOND THEIR POLITICAL PARTY. THEY ARE NOT MYOPIC. THEY THINK AND ACT NOT AS PARTY PRESIDENTS BUT AS NATIONAL PRESIDENTS AND BEHAVE AS STATESMEN. THEY HAVE SHOWN THAT THEY ARE FATHERS TO ALL GHANAIANS AND THEY BELONG TO A PARTY THAT IS A MOTHER TO ALL IN GHANA. IT IS TIME NOW FOR THEM TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THEIR PARTY FROM NEW TO NATIONAL PATRIOTIC PARTY WHICH REFLECT THEIR TRUE CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY. AS A GOOD LEADER AND A STATESMAN KUFFUOR KEEP RECEIVING SO MANY INTERNATIONAL AWARD AND APPOINTMENT. IT IS CLEAR THAT AKKUFO ADDO WOULD FOLLOW SUIT.
tweaa its funny. Nana please note that you are the president of Ghana and u are there for Ghanaian n not npp members you would have looked like a f o ol if you would have turned ur back at the man. the NPP N NDC days are over you are now the president of Ghana so take note.
This is how Ghana should be !!!
Kudos Nana Addo i think that's how we should all live, having a Godly mind to support even an opponent in politics. may the good Lord bless u and bless your governance