Editorial: So Kufuor finally confesses

"For the first time in many months, the President has expressed candid views on the impending New Patriotic Party Congress to elect its 2008 presidential candidate," a paper reported Monday.

Yesterday's Daily Dispatch gave Ghanaians who missed the recent interview that the President of the Republic of Ghana granted to the British Broadcasting Corporation a belated opportunity to read what President Kufuor said. The President told his international audience what he looks for in his successor: "He should be a very level-headed person. We have managed to put together quite a bit of assets for Ghana, which is ready to take off, economically."

With this the President could be understood to mean that he's probably among those who fear there could be 'hot-headed? pretenders to his stool! He continued, "Socially, it is quite a stable place. Because of the prospect of oil we want a guy who will manage competently, would not be extravagant and continue to hold the line on sound macro-economic management, encourage the private sector to take bold but calculated initiatives to grow the economy; create jobs for the people and that government should respect reserves." So what Ghana needs after Kufuor, a ?professional? politician who has given Ghana comparatively exemplary leadership is not a political leader but a manager? May be he means an economist? Agyarko, Osafo-Maafo have wonderful track records in financial management. Apraku is an economist. Alan and Akufo-Addo both studied economics at University. Hackman is an agricultural economist. Jake, Aliu, Frimpong-Boateng, and others have all managed people and firms/institutions. But, it was more than clear where the President of the Republic of Ghana was heading with that line of argument. Listening to President Kufuor you may be forgiven in thinking that oil money is going to start flowing soon after January 7, 2009. Oil experts say the earliest Ghana can possibly expect to produce oil from the commercial find will be in five years - and that will be pushing it. Indeed, they put the time frame between 5 and 10 years. So why is the President, who has all the information still harping on about a leader who can spend the oil money wisely when the presidency is for a four-year term? Clearly the President has placed the issue of who takes over ?oil-rich? Ghana on top of his priority list in determining who succeeds him. That can be seen as responsible. But, what we find worrying is that he seems to be confusing what is immediately at stake after him. Certainly not the revenue expected to accrue from oil. In this regard, the concerns for the next four years, Mr President, should be more about how the next leader can competently ensure that contracts and other related arrangements on Ghana?s oil prospects are handled in a legally competent, socially responsible, environmentally sound and economically win-win situation for all concerned. In that case there is even one of the leading candidates who has a wealth of legal experience in the oil and gas business, but we dare posit that the President did not exactly have him in mind when he was talking to the BBC. What post-Kufuor ?oil?rich? Ghana requires in the short-to-medium term is a leader who can stand firm and cannot easily be corrupted, to end up slipping on the oily floors of the corridors of power. It requires a leader who can negotiate for Ghana. It requires a leader who knows what it means to make oil rather a blessing than a curse. It requires a political leader who appreciates the livewire link between community-involvement in the oil wealth and security. The President is absolutely right about a leadership that can be firm in macro-economic management and, at the same time, firm in the need to accelerate growth. But, added to this is not just growth but the kind of conscious policies that will economically empower the Ghanaian, first and foremost. Whether in oil, telecoms or whatever venture, we need the kind of leadership that consciously seeks to make Ghanaians real owners of the economic process and its benefits. We need the kind of economic prosperity that is broad-based, inclusive and sustainable. Jobs are not created because a politician seeking office commands. In a globalised competitive world, the leadership of our country requires a strong conscious dose of economic patriotism. We must begin to believe in ourselves. A leadership with policies that are deliberate in growing the Ghanaian entrepreneur is fundamental to creating jobs. Once that is done it is only natural to expect local jobs to be created otherwise we leave our economy vulnerable to free market mercenaries. But the President did not leave it there in his BBC interview. He went ahead to do what he had refused to do in Ghana notwithstanding several provocations. He admitted that he has a preferred candidate. After disclosing that out of the 19 aspirants he has one in mind he would wish to take over from him, President Kufuor added, "I will not disclose [his name]." It is difficult to argue against his explanation: "It is not possible to be in politics as long as I am, without having an idea who might be the best person to take over from me. So I have an idea but I would not do anything to preempt or deny my party the right to pick a candidate." The President educated his foreign hosts, "I don?t have the power and I would not try to influence [the selection]." What we find remarkable about the President?s interview which was broadcast across Africa is his admission. He had consistently told Ghanaians, including his party leadership, that he did not have a preferred candidate. The trouble is nobody really believed him. As to what it was about the environment that got the President to finally come out frankly we can only speculate. But, we believe what the President has done is rather honourable as compared to his earlier position which was dubiously not reflective of his actual position on the flagbearership contest. Now that the President has come out to admit that he has a preferred candidate, we expect him to go the extra mile to show that his words on the six-weeks-to-go contest are from now on as real as the oil he expects Ghana to be drilling in commercial quantities in the future. He could in this regard go beyond words to show that indeed he does not intend to defy his own understanding of his powers to do anything to "try to influence." What is perhaps queer about the President?s position is his remarkable reluctance to issue a public statement to denounce the use of his name to prop up a candidate(s)? campaign. Beyond that he can take active steps to dissuade the repugnant habit. Surely, he cannot say that he?s unaware of any such evidence, unless of course he either approves of it or it?s done on his orders, either directly or tacitly. In fact, there?s precedent. He came out strongly against those who were using his name in the first half of the year to kick-start the campaign of Papa Owusu-Ankomah. He just can?t leave it here.