Appoint technocrats, 'real patriots'- Dr Antwi-Danso advises Akufo-Addo

Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso, Dean of Armed Forces Command and Staff College, has advised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to consider appointing technocrats with knowledge in governance in his next government.

That, he said, would promote good governance and pragmatism to consolidate his legacy and gains in the first term of his administration.

Dr Antwi-Danso, also an International Affairs Expert, gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra.

He said, "Considering the nature of the 2020 Election results and the kind of Parliament we will have in terms of numbers and complexity…,
What President Akufo-Addo can do to consolidate his legacy is to bring on board more technocrats and people who understand governance to promote issue-based governance system.

"The kind of bickering, polemics and partisan nature of our politics should give way to consensus building and pragmatism".

Dr Antwi-Danso, added, " We need people who are forward-looking, real patriots and love Ghana, and not people who only shout because of their political parties' interest.

"And when the positive result begins to show, it will shape our democracy and Ghana will be the ultimate beneficiary".

He underscored the need to allow state institutions to work according to the remit of the law and refrain from tagging them with political colours.

Dr Antwi-Danso said appointment of heads of state institutions should also not be conterminous with the tenure of governments so that they could continue to operate even after a particular administration exited power.

Over 13 million Ghanaians on Monday, December 7, 2020 elected a President and 275 parliamentarians for a four-year term, beginning, January 07, 2021.

Incumbent President, Akufo-Addo was elected as the eighth President of the Fourth Republic after the Electoral Commission (EC) declared he got 51.3 per cent of the total valid votes cast, beating the main opposition leader and former President John Dramani Mahama, who the EC said had 47.4 per cent of total valid votes.

Mr Mahama refused to concede defeat, describing the election results as "flawed".

Meanwhile, domestic and international election observer missions described the electoral process as free, fair and transparent.