President John Agyekum Kufuor has pointed out that mediocrity and corruption are signs that a country’s governance is in bad hands.
Speaking at the 4th lecture of the Kufuor Foundation in Accra, the former president expressed worry that it is taking “too long” for governments across Africa to pay unflinching respect to the principles of good governance and the rule of law.
He traced the stages of governance in Africa, noting that at the time of independence most African countries had leaders who had limited appreciation of the importance of good governance.
According to him, most post-independence leaders were freedom fighters who allowed the euphoria of freedom to overshadow the importance of constitutional rule.
They quickly degenerated into corrupt, oppressive governments impoverishing their people in the process, Kufuor continued.
In a speech very short on specifics, the former President noted that the era of the "misgovernance of strong men" in Africa is over.
He touted his Foundation's own efforts in promoting good governance and development in some countries across the continent.
In Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Nigeria and Ghana, the Foundation is supporting rice-growing to help African citizens fend for themselves.
He wants the foundation to focus on grooming the next generation of African and particularly Ghanaian leaders who will respect the rule of law and good governance.
The guest speaker for the lecture was Mo Ibrahim with some top African leaders in attendance.
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