The National Anthem of a nation is its heart and soul. It is regarded as an emblem of the nation that carries with it the spirit of its forebears, reminding the present generations of what those who came before them did to give them their freedom.

Understandably, that must have formed a huge part of the reaction that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had when he was at an event recently and someone he expected to know better did not give reverence to the solemn moment.

It was on Friday, June 9, 2023, during the Green Ghana Day event at the University of Ghana, attended by the president and the Minister of the Greater Accra Region, Henry Quartey, plus other dignitaries like the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo.

Akufo-Addo’s rage at Mempeasem chief:

Although the day was to mark the 2023 start of the national greening Ghana project, a short clip from the event took over social media and other media outlets, completely taking over what the essence of that day was.

From the clips that went viral, they showed an unusually angry Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo instructing the regional minister, Henry Quartey, in a certain direction.

It turned out that what the president was angry about was that there was a chief (with his elders) at the event who refused to stand on their feet (at attention) during the National Anthem.

The angry president, as details would emerge later, ordered the chief to rise to his feet just like every other person.

Much later, too, the chief was identified as the chief of Mempeasem, Nii Torgbor Obodai Ampaw, along with his elders.

The reaction of the president got a lot of people concerned, with many asking why the president made such a big fuss about this.

GhanaWeb sought the advice and expertise of a senior military officer on this matter.

While the source preferred to remain anonymous, he told GhanaWeb that the basis for the president’s reaction was principally because the National Anthem reflects the pride of the country.

He stressed that just like the Coat of Arms of the country, the National Anthem carries equal weight, and like conventions all over the world, they require the utmost respect and treatment.

“Anthems are the national pride, just like the flags, the Coat of Arms, and those things, you don’t joke with them. That is the heart and soul of the whole nation and you to respect it. There is no ambiguity about this; you must respect it.

“In other countries, when they play or sing the national anthem, everybody stands at attention, no matter where you are. So, I am sure it is in that same understanding of the pride of Ghana although I am not sure there is any law to back this,” he explained.

Also, the Director-General of the Department of Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier-General Eric Aggrey Quarshie, explained to GhanaWeb that standing when the National Anthem is being played is a sign of respect for the nation.

He added that it is also a show of nationalism, especially because the National Anthem carries the spirit of the nation.

"This is the National Anthem. You should have some sort of respect for it. It is a sign of your show of nationalism, just as we were taught in primary school.

"The National Anthem also carries the spirit of the nation, but these days, it shows our disregard for social, civic responsibilities. We don't seem to care, but you should have some sort of love for your country," he added.

Akufo-Addo’s daughter fidgets during National Anthem:

And then there was another incident with the president being present at an event where the National Anthem was sung and what he did, or did not, when some people who are expected to know better, ‘flouted’ that solemn moment.

This time, it was the first daughter of the president, while the two of them, joined by many others, were at an unveiling ceremony to mark the 30th year since the Head of State’s first wife, Eleanor Akufo-Addo, died in 1993.

The video showed Edwina Akufo-Addo seated beside her father talking away on phone while the master of ceremony of the event announced the observation of the national anthem and thus called on the gathering to stand in line with protocol.

While she stood to observe National Anthem, the first daughter of the president continued talking on her phone, while still moving, until midway through the anthem when she placed the phone in her handbag and stood attention for the remainder of the anthem.

The video has attracted several reactions across social media with some users accusing the president of being nonchalant about his daughter’s conduct.

Many have accused President Akufo-Addo of being hypocritical and failing to hold his family to his own standard.

“Nana Addo thought he and family are better than the rest of Ghanaians” a Twitter user @AbdulaiMuniru wrote.

“And yet, he was really angry at the chief when he was not able to stand for the same anthem. Ghana we dey” @Twenty4Greg also wrote.

In the meantime, watch the latest episode of #SayItLoud on GhanaWeb TV with Etsey Atisu below:





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