I sometimes feel ashamed to be Ghanaian - Kofi Bentil

The Vice President of IMANI Ghana, Kofi Bentil has stated that there are days he feels ashamed to be a Ghanaian after realizing that the country does not have self-respect to fix its own roof at the Flagstaff house.

Kofi Bentil expressed his disgust at what he defines as a shame to a sovereign nation that ‘begs’ for money to repair the facility of its own President.

On Tuesday, 15th August 2017, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo received a $1 million donation from the government of India for any renovation works that the seat of Ghana’s government, the Flagstaff House, may require.

The donation was made on behalf of the government of India by Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar, who called on President Akufo-Addo at the presidency.

The seat of government, the Flagstaff House, which was commissioned by former President John Agyekum Kufour in 2008 cost the nation $135million with the India government offering a $30million grant.

However, the good deed from the Indian government has been condemned by Kofi Bentil, who resulted to Facebook to lash out at President Akufo-Addo for making the country stoop so low to solicit funds for the renovation of its own house.

In his post, Mr Bentil says “There are days I am ashamed to be Ghanaian!! When I realize we don't have the self-respect to fix our own roof, but our President will stand and take a picture with a foreigner gifting us one million dollars It shames me greatly!!

“We need to have a bit of self-worth and respect for ourselves as a sovereign nation!!! and not demean ourselves as much as to go begging for money to repair the roof of the seat of our Presidency!! In addition, Kofi Bentil advised HE Nana Akufo Addo to use the tax payer’s money to fix the weaken structures at the Flagstaff House instead of reducing the entire nation to public ridicule by begging for money.

“Shame, Shame, Shame!! Next time take money from our taxes and fix the roof and stop shaming us!!!”

The Flagstaff or Jubilee House as others call it serves as offices for the President, his vice and staff at the Presidency. The facility also has a residential accommodation which is yet to be occupied by any of the presidents who have been in office since its commissioning in 2008.

See Kofi Bentil's Facebook post below