Akufo-Addo is a weak leader - Lecturer

A US-based Ghanaian University lecturer and prolific writer, Dr Michael Jarvis K Bokor, has bemoaned the practice where certain kingpins of the governing New Patriotic Party dictate to President Akufo-Addo their preferred place of appointments.

Reacting to Nana Akomea’s revelation that President Akufo-Addo has yielded to his preferred choice of position he would like to serve in government, Dr Bokor, in his usual thought provoking write up, said such practice presents the president as a weak leader.

“To me, he comes across as weak-willed and weak-minded if he sits down for those he wants to appoint into positions of trust to tell him where they want to be posted to and he bows to them. What sort of leader is that?” Dr. Bokor wrote.

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Folks, two days ago, I raised issues with the manner in which two prominent members of the NPP’s “Concert Party” (Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie and Nana Akomea) are behaving in regard to the appointments being made by Akufo-Addo.

While Owusu Afriyie seems to have given up, Nana Akomea doesn’t. He insists that he is in line for appointment by Akufo-Addo.

Now, he has opened his mouth really wide to make me scratch my head. In a publication quoting his self-confidential claim (“My appointment is secured”), he was reported as saying that “Akufo-Addo is going through the process of appointing him as Chief Executive Officer of a state institution.

According to him, there are some laid down processes that must be followed in appointing a CEO to that institution and so the president is going through that process to ensure he does not violate the law.” (See http://www.ghanaweb.com/…/My-appointment-is-secured-Nana-Ak…).

Two issues stand out here for immediate comment. Akufo-Addo going through the processes that must be followed in appointing him to ensure that he doesn’t violate the law? Was that the case for all those speedily appointed by Akufo-Addo?

Again, Akufo-Addo will appoint him as the Chief executive Officer of a state institution? Which one is that?

The publication says a lot more to make me cringe: “I have told the President the position I want to occupy and he has agreed… The President is going through the process. When he is done, he will make my appointment public.”

Wow!! So, in Nana Akomea’s case, it is the eager and expectant appointee-to-be who identified the particular state institution that he preferred to be appointed to so Akufo-Addo could go through the processes to install him there? Where, then, lies the power of the appointing authority to determine which slots to appoint his followers to?

Everything turned upside down here for the one playing the tune (the piper) to call the shots for the one paying him to obey? Incredible but possible under a confused NPP administration.

And Akufo-Addo has agreed to the shots being called by Nana Akomea? How does that capitulation to Nana Akomea’s preference portray him? To me, he comes across as weak-willed and weak-minded if he sits down for those he wants to appoint into positions of trust to tell him where they want to be posted to and he bows to them. What sort of leader is that?

On a more serious note, one wonders why it is Nana Akomea alone who is howling all over the place about his future in an Akufo-Addo administration. If he is considered as still useful to the NPP set-up, why disengage him? What is it about “party work” that cannot help Nana Akomea fulfill his ambitions? Why does he think that an appointment into a state institution of his own choice will redeem him?

If Akufo-Addo is wise enough to know how appointing effective party organizers to positions that will detach them from party work, he should be careful how he deals with Nana Akomea and Co. It’s remarkable here that Sammy Awuku did well by declining the appointment offered him in the Local Government sector just that he would concentrate on party work.

Ex-President Mahama made that terrible mistake by removing the party’s organizers for appointments that made it difficult for them to function effectively for the party’s good. The negative backlash is not in doubt. Is that the way Akufo-Addo wants to go too?

In his case, though, he appears to be overdoing it already. As soon as he upgrades Nana Akomea on his own terms, he will set in motion what will rebound to hurt him in the long run. For now, let’s give Nana Akomea the long rope with which to hang himself on Akufo-Addo’s altar. Some “interrectuals”, indeed!!