The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who is preparing to leave office in a few months, is
setting up land mines for his self-acclaimed successor, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia.
However, Akufo-Addo’s underlings are too afraid to tell him to his face that his latest fad of insisting that chiefs rise
to greet him, will have a major political backlash in the coming months.
Videos of the President engaging in this antic began to surface a couple of months ago, and the latest chief to suffer
this indignity of being invited to rise out of State to greet a visitor, is the Chief of Gonjaland, Yagbonwura
Amonebafe Borenyi I.
Yagbonwura Amonebafe Borenyi I is the current chief of Tuluwe traditional area. He is the Overlord of the Gonja
Kingdom in the Savannah Region.
Videos in circulation on social media show the President and his bodyguards imperiously insisting that the
traditional Chief rise to greet the President. The fad has received mixed reactions on social media, with some saying
that as President of Ghana, he has every right to insist that chiefs rise to greet him, even in their palaces. Others
suggest that it is a sign of disrespect.
Whatever it is, the President avoided this habit he has cultivated when he was a Presidential Aspirant on several
occasions. This side of his, has only arisen now that he is not going to face the electorate again.
The most worrying aspects of this new fad, however, are yet to emerge. The first, is whether the President would
have the same nerve to insist that chiefs like the Asantehene rise to greet him, when he next meets them whilst they
sit in-state.
Once Akufo-Addo has started this fad, many Ghanaians and political watchers will be on the lookout to see whether
he will manifest the inferiority complex when he meets the Asantehene at a public occasion when the Asantehene is
sitting in-state.
The second aspect, is the effect that this fad will have on voters, particularly those who look upon their chiefs, and
who may think that these chiefs are being unnecessarily humiliated.
Predictably, Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia, who is most likely to face the brunt of his boss’ antics, is firmly
keeping his plastic smile in place. He is set on ensuring that the ostrich pose is maintained.
Meanwhile, political watchers will be watching.
