Some Ghanaians have accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of being a scripted president who has to be guided through all the public appearances, particularly his public pronouncements.
These persons, including the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Sammy Gyamfi, and broadcaster Okatakyie Afrifa, have intimate Akufo-Addo on his own, will not be able to make statements that will bring the country together.
Recent statements made by the president during his tour of some parts of the country where he spoke without a prepared statement have not helped matters because the president made comments people have described as "unpresidential" and "unguarded".
Here are some of the "unpresidential" or "unguarded" comments Akufo-Addo made when he addressed Ghanaians without a script:
To those of you saying bad things about me in the Ashanti Region, I will shame you all – Akufo-Addo
President Akufo-Addo, while speaking during a sod-cutting ceremony for the Suame Interchange, on October 18, 2022, as part of his Ashanti Region tour, berated his political detractors in the region.
According to him, these people will be shamed one by one by the numerous work he has done for the people of the region, which is considered the 'political world bank' of his party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
President Akufo-Addo stated that for the past six years that he has been in office, the people of the Ashanti Region had benefitted enough from his government, therefore, his detractors cannot say otherwise.
"And to those of you going around saying bad things about me in the Ashanti Region, one after the other, they are all going to be shamed convincingly today, tomorrow and the day after.
"In spite of our present difficulties, which I know will be gone as soon as possible, I continue to be excited about the future prospects of the nation, and I urge all Ghanaians to join hands in building the Ghana that we want, we can realize it if we all work at it," he said.
Your threats to vote against the NPP don't frighten me – Akufo-Addo
The president once again raised eyebrows in an interview on OTEC FM during his tour of the Ashanti Region when he stated how unfazed he was about NPP losing the next general elections.
He explained that while there are threats to vote against them, he is unmoved, adding that intimidation of voting against the NPP due to unfulfilled promises or lack of development under his tenure is a voter's personal decision he cannot be bothered about.
"People make those kinds of threats; they don't frighten me. Somebody votes for you, and somebody supports you. It's because they want you to do certain things for them. I understand that. But there is no need for people to say that if I am unable to do this and that… those are their own issues to deal with. Of course, I will do it (the road).
"But if it comes to the election and you choose to vote for the NDC, that is your own issue; that is not my worry because nobody holds your thumb to vote; it is your own work. The important thing is that I understand my responsibility, and we will deal with it," the president said.
Go and complete Aflao E-Block – Akufo-Addo to Aflao chief
Akufo-Addo, in 2021 told the Paramount Chief of Aflao, Torgbui Adzongaga Amenya Fiti V, to complete an Aflao e-block started by ex-President John Dramani Mahama after the chief demanded that the education minister completes the project within four months.
According to the paramount chief, work on the Senior High School building, which commenced under the E-block initiative, had been abandoned over time. He thus called on the Minister of Education, Yaw Osei Adutwum, to ensure that the project was completed within the period he specified.
But speaking in an interview with Kwame Sefa Kayi on Peace FM on Thursday, October 21, 2021, President Akufo-Addo questioned why the paramount chief would issue an ultimatum to his minister about the completion of a project.
"Is he the one going to give the Minister of Education an ultimatum?" he questioned.
Prompted by the host that the chief's request may be borne out of frustration, President Akufo-Addo replied that the traditional leader should "go ahead and complete the project himself" if he feels frustrated about the current situation.
I'm not so sure if Aisha Huang was deported - Akufo-Addo
In September 2022, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo contradicted statements by some of his appointees that illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) kingpin, Aisha Huang, was deported from Ghana in 2018.
Speaking in an interview on Stone City Radio in Ho during his tour of the Volta Region, which GhanaWeb monitored, Akufo-Addo expressed uncertainty about whether Aisha Huang was deported.
According to the president, it is likely that the 'galamsey' queen was never deported but fled the country in 2018.
"… I am not still sure whether she was, in fact, deported or whether she fled the country the first time and has now come back or whatever. There still seems to be some uncertainty about it.
"Whichever way it is, she has become a sort of nickname for all that the 'galamsey' represent and also, unfortunately, for the involvement of Chinese nationals in this illicit trade," he said.
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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo