Former President John Agyekum Kufuor says Ghana owes its former leaders and statesmen a duty to treat them with dignity as is being demonstrated in other jurisdictions such as the United States of America.

Addressing attendees of a Thanksgiving dinner organized by President Akufo-Addo, to celebrate him on the occasion of his 80th birthday at the Jubilee House, former President Kufuor, referring to the remarks of former United States President Barack Obama, at the funeral of the late 41st President of the United States, George Bush Snr. said the Nation Ghana has no reason to mistreat her current and former leaders.

“When it got to Obama’s turn, he said before he got to the White House, the Oval Office, his opinion of some of the people who had gone ahead of him wasn’t that good, but once he got in there and saw the multitude of challenges that afflicted them by the day, you can even say by the hour, not only from the United States but from around the world and how these people managed to tackle some of these challenges within the very short span of office they were given, he got to feel that all of them were very honourable people and that they tried to do their best for their country.

“For that, he attended that celebration to praise Bush Jnr. and to ask the United States to look on all these retired Presidents as honourable people. Bush Jnr. wept because of the way Obama Addressed the gathering. I believe this is how we need to learn to treat our leaders both sitting and past and what the President has done tonight I believe is a lesson that should not be lost to on us,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo, in a brief statement, recalled the several names the former President is usually associated with or affectionately called; Kofi Diewou, JAK, Gentle Gaint, and Apagyafiemunnipa.

President Akufo-Addo said undoubtedly, former President Kufuor has been the most successful leader in the Danquah, Dombo, Busia Tradition. The President on his own behalf and on the behalf of the first lady, Rebecca Akufo Addo, wished former President Kufuor a happy birthday and God’s abundant blessings on him and his wife Teresa.