Ghana deserves better than an insulting president

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, deserves commendation for rejecting the invitation to descend into the gutter with President John Mahama, who, from all indications, is bent on engaging in dirty politics of insults and trivialities in the lead up to this year's general elections.

Many were those who expected Nana Akufo-Addo to reply the President, in equal measure, after he had claimed the NPP flagbearer did not see any good roads in the northern part of Western Region during his recent campaign tour to the area because he slept throughout the tour.

But, addressing supporters of the NPP in Accra, the opposition leader stated clearly that he would not trade insults with the President, but would instead 'thank' him for the comments, and leave the electorate in the northern part of the Western Region to bear their own testimony of the nature of the roads in the area.

Undoubtedly, Nana Akufo-Addo has shown true leadership and demonstrated that he is a listening president-in-waiting, mindful of the plethora of advice from various renowned chiefs and well-meaning individuals and groups who have consistently urged political leaders to engage in issue based politics devoid of insults.

We at the Daily Statesman are not surprised at the high level of maturity exhibited by the flagbearer of the NPP because he has been known over the years as a consummate political leader who represents one the country's finest when it comes to decency in politics.

He has always shown that he is more concerned about what needs to be done to tackle the developmental problems confronting the people, and thus sees petty politics as something belonging to those who are always found wanting when confronted with politics of ideas.

That is the nature of President Mahama and the NDC who are always determined to bury the bread and butter issues that affect the people in the dirty gutter of trivialities and insults because it fits into their game plan, especially as they lack ideas on the political battle field.

Nana Akufo-Addo has always been consistent with espousing one idea or the other which he believes could help move the development agenda of the country to the next level, as he is currently doing with the "One District, One Factory" policy.

As usual, his detractors say the policy cannot be feasible in the country, just as they sought to bastardise the Northern Development Authority Fund (NDAF) and Free Senior High Education programme he espoused during the electioneering campaigns of 2008 and 2012.

President Mahama and his NDC government later took Nana Addo's idea of NDAF and put in place the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority, only to turn it into a vehicle for corruption and massive looting of state funds for the benefit of family members and friends.

Now, they want Ghanaians to believe that they are implementing the Free SHS Education Programme, which they insisted was not possible, but parents and guardians are the best judges as to whether or not that is the reality, in a period where schools are compelled to close down over non-payment of feeding grants.

Nana Akufo-Addo has consistently demonstrated that these are the issues that concern him; and that is why he will never allow trivialities and insults to take his better part when he mounts the political platform, even in the face of provocation from his detractors.

That is the mark of a true leader who means well for the suffering people. And we are convinced the electorate will take a special notice of this and support him to win the December polls for the good of the country, for Ghana deserves better than an insulting president.