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Opinions of Thursday, 27 April 2017

Columnist: theheraldghana.com

Nana Addo: How do you do it

President Akufo-Addo President Akufo-Addo

Of all the definitions, that would pop up when you Google what leadership is, what sums it up for me is,leadership is influence.

Now the influence can then be looked at in two ways, and that is, is the influence negative or positive.

Naturally, it is more difficult to learn new ideas as an adult. A popular African adage has it that you don’t learn the use of the left hand in old age. By extension, you do not learn to lead a people aright, when you get into power.

Going forward, I wish therefore to opine here that, leadership is an attitude and not a position or title, as we crave for in Africa.

President Nana AddoDankwaAkufo-Addo, is one leader I admire so much, unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.

If there is any person in Ghana, who I would love to listen to give a lecture on leadership, it will be him. I will ask him, how is he able to influence people, by qualification, experience, whose ages are far ahead of him.

But for the negative fallouts of his leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), I will dare say, he is the best person for this country.

He is thus lacking in the moral pre-requisite for leading and like they say in law, which he is very conversant with, once a process is wrong, the following actions that are a fall out of the initial process are equally wrong.

If I have the chance, I will ask Nana Addo, how is able to beat everybody into line that, he has become untouchable in our society.

Pastors are afraid to speak ill of him, the former President, who led the party into two successive victories, John AgyekumKufuor, dare not say anything bad about the way he run the New Patriotic Party, that, he so gallantly fought to build, national executives, who had the presence of mind to disagree with him, were shown where power lies and who controls the party, journalists, who sit behind the consoles and criticize him, were forced to apologize to him, the list of his reach and control is endless.

How is he able to do that, this rather simple, but complicated question I have asked myself since last night and I honestly did not get any answer.

A few things ran through my mind, as to how he was able to do it, one that resonatedwas, he bought his future, the future which was today that he controls.

An ambitious person, with an eye in the future knows how to prepare for it, Nana Addo, did that by buying it, how did he do that, where he could not use money, he influenced, he mentored, he cared for, he made friends, not fair weather ones, but true friends, he help build his party and today, he identified with the party footsoldiers and today we are seeing the dividends of all that.

The nation rejected him twice, but his party, put him up as many times as he present himself before the and today he is the president.

What possible lessons, could our future leaders learn from him, the selfishness, greed and avarice that characterizes today’s young leaders, is appalling and uninspiring.

Leadership includes simple acts we carry out in our everyday lives that portray who we are as an individual and the content of our character.

Not too long ago, I was having a conversation with someone I admired so much from far and when I got close to him, I came to the conclusion that, he is one of the finest brains this country and the National Democratic Congress (NDC)has, although we do not recognize it, his appreciation and understanding of leadership is unparallel to anyone I have come across, who told me that, of all the people, he wants to talk to about leadership is, Nana AddoDankwaAkufo-Addo.

What makes him thick, how is he able to influence, such a massive following.

Few leaders in Africa or even the world are able to influence people, examples are few and sparse, mention can be made of Adolf Hitler, the Nazi tyrant, who terrorized this world, using his own people. Our own first President and founder, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who was able to rally the whole country, regardless of tribe, occupation to attain Independence and had gone down in history as the most successful leader of this country.

Nelson Mandela of South Africa, even in jail was able to influence his people to end Apartheid, Nana Addo, can safely be said to fit into these category of leaders, except his style of leadership is akin to that of Adolf Hitler.

Leadership is being able to motivate others and inspire them into attaining their full potentials as individuals, especially by showing good example. It encompasses selflessness, dedication and steadfastness.

President Akufo-Add-,has negatively affected the people in his party, they have reached their full potential, albeit violence, but at least, we can judge him for the kind of leader he is.

Some pretend to be what and who they are not and it is very difficult to tell the kind of leader they are.

If ever I get the chance to meet him, I will ask him as I mentioned earlier, how he was able to beat everybody into subjugation?

Journalists doing their work dared to attack him, he made sure they were shown their real sizes; you do not step on a tail of a Cobra and go scot free.

Next time when they sit behind the consol, they will know who to attack. For Nana Addo, all of us must behave like the proverbial Monkey, see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil, this he has taken to the government.