‘Arrogant leadership’ - Kwakye Ofosu slams Akufo-Addo for dedicating car to carry his chair on tour

Felix Kwakye Ofosu, an aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, has chastised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for dedicating a car to carry his chair while on tours. In a Facebook post on October 21, the aide said the conduct of the president smacks of arrogant leadership. He wrote: “we actually have a President who believes in carrying a chair around the country for his travels and has a vehicle dedicated to carrying that chair. What arrogant leadership.” President Akufo-Addo has in the past come under heavy criticism particularly from members of the opposition National Democratic Congress for carrying his chair around. Background In August 2020, the presidential chair became topical after netizens pointed out in a series of photos that the President used a particular chair at all public events whenever and wherever he travelled nationwide. This came after pictures of him at different radio stations on a regional tour saw him use the particular chair. During Akufo-Addo’s tour in the North East Region at the time, he visited PAD 95.1 FM for an interview along with his presidential seat. The usual studio seat, according to the picture making rounds, was shifted aside, and replaced with his. Also, during his visit over the weekend to the Ashanti Region, his presidential seat was taken along with him for an interview with Wontumi Radio Station among others. There have been mixed reactions since the pictures emerged in the public space, as some say it’s a standard protocol while others have attached spiritual connotations. Gabby Otchere-Darko, who commented on the Facebook post by Francis Kenndy Ocloo, explained that it was to keep him protected from Coronavirus. In early January this year as well, Lawyer Edudzi Kudzo Tamekloe said he was an eyewitness to the presidential chair being allocated a V8 to transport it to public functions across the country. He said he had hitherto not believed the narrative but was shocked to discover that it was indeed true. “The President assigns V8 to carry his chair. In fact, initially, I thought it was not true until I saw it. The first time when I saw it myself I was shocked, (it was) at the burial grounds of a retired Supreme Court judge. “I went with John Mahama when the president came, obviously he is the last person to come. A whole V8 is dedicated to a chair, with the driver and a guard. That whole V8 is assigned to carrying the President’s chair,” he lamented on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana. In recent times, President Akufo-Addo has been embarking on regional tours to inspect ongoing works and also commission some. The president in his tour has been captured sitting on the presidential chair at radio station studios where he has granted interviews as well as functions to welcome him or commission projects. You can also watch this episode of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV: DS/PEN

Felix Kwakye Ofosu, an aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, has chastised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for dedicating a car to carry his chair while on tours. In a Facebook post on October 21, the aide said the conduct of the president smacks of arrogant leadership. He wrote: “we actually have a President who believes in carrying a chair around the country for his travels and has a vehicle dedicated to carrying that chair. What arrogant leadership.” President Akufo-Addo has in the past come under heavy criticism particularly from members of the opposition National Democratic Congress for carrying his chair around. Background In August 2020, the presidential chair became topical after netizens pointed out in a series of photos that the President used a particular chair at all public events whenever and wherever he travelled nationwide. This came after pictures of him at different radio stations on a regional tour saw him use the particular chair. During Akufo-Addo’s tour in the North East Region at the time, he visited PAD 95.1 FM for an interview along with his presidential seat. The usual studio seat, according to the picture making rounds, was shifted aside, and replaced with his. Also, during his visit over the weekend to the Ashanti Region, his presidential seat was taken along with him for an interview with Wontumi Radio Station among others. There have been mixed reactions since the pictures emerged in the public space, as some say it’s a standard protocol while others have attached spiritual connotations. Gabby Otchere-Darko, who commented on the Facebook post by Francis Kenndy Ocloo, explained that it was to keep him protected from Coronavirus. In early January this year as well, Lawyer Edudzi Kudzo Tamekloe said he was an eyewitness to the presidential chair being allocated a V8 to transport it to public functions across the country. He said he had hitherto not believed the narrative but was shocked to discover that it was indeed true. “The President assigns V8 to carry his chair. In fact, initially, I thought it was not true until I saw it. The first time when I saw it myself I was shocked, (it was) at the burial grounds of a retired Supreme Court judge. “I went with John Mahama when the president came, obviously he is the last person to come. A whole V8 is dedicated to a chair, with the driver and a guard. That whole V8 is assigned to carrying the President’s chair,” he lamented on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana. In recent times, President Akufo-Addo has been embarking on regional tours to inspect ongoing works and also commission some. The president in his tour has been captured sitting on the presidential chair at radio station studios where he has granted interviews as well as functions to welcome him or commission projects. You can also watch this episode of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV: DS/PEN