Former President John Agyekum Kufuor left office nearly two-and-a-half years ago after serving the mandatory eight years of his tenure.

However, since his departure from the Castle as the first gentleman of the land as well as the Commander in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, the ex-President has declared that he now feels like a liberated person.

He said while in office, he was hedged in by his security detail and protocol and it was difficult for him to see friends, family members and particularly his grandchildren.

The team also determined his movements and what he had to do and at what time. Now things have been relaxed and the former President moves about without the usual regimented life.

According to President Kufuor, even though he is no longer the Executive President and his pretty tight schedule has been relaxed significantly, he still remains quite busy and occupied.

A visit to the private residential home of the ex-President at the Airport Residential Area in Accra, portion of which he has converted into his official office, revealed a high number of visitors, both, international as well as local guests, who call on him daily to seek audience, transact one business or the other and discuss some issues of mutual interest.

Former President Kufuor under whose tenure a lot of giant strides were recorded in the economic, political and social spheres, continues to relish in the glory and fame he attained while serving the people of Ghana.

In a chat with Ghana's fifth constitutionally elected President recently, former President Kufuor emphatically told The Mirror that, "I have not missed much about the pres-idency, because I had my full stint of the office.

My presidency was action-packed and fortunately I believe my government managed to fulfill many of the programmes and projects.”

He, however, admitted that “my government could not do everything that we hoped for Ghana such as the Bauxite aluminium industrialisation. Plans were made but we could not follow through."

He also said the petro-chemical industry he wanted to develop was yet to be finished along the line his government started it.

The cancellation of the Barclays International support for offshore banking, which was to make Ghana the hub of capital market for West Africa, was a big is appointment because that project was to enhance the capital market.

According to the former President, after leaving office on January 7, 2009, he now decides where to go and what to do.

President Kufuor's day has not changed much. He starts his day as usual at 6.00 a.m. when he gets out from bed and listens to the news on the airwaves and watch international news on television to acquaint himself with developments around the world.

He gets downstairs from his home to the office around 10.30a.m., where he checks the correspondence after which his doors are opened to visitors who call on him.

According to him, between 2.00 p.m. and 3.00 p.m., the office takes a break for lunch, which also means the end of the day's business.

After a short rest, he goes out visiting friends and other family relations. The weekends are usually action packed for the former President.

He attends social events such as funerals, parties or church service in Accra, Kumasi and other parts of the country. He also makes time for his grandchildren, who mostly visit him on Sundays after church if he is in town.

The former President said his social life has been rejuvenated and he can now go to places of interest where he relaxes and listens to real good music.

Ex President Kufuor has been spotted a number of times at Citizen Kofi, a popular entertainment centre off the Oxford Street in Osu, Accra, with some friends chilling.

Former President Kufuor still has strong' links with his former Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, former ministers of state who served under him as well as other government and party functionaries who regularly pay obeisance to him.

Talking about the verbal attacks on his personality while he was in office and out of office, the former President said, “I don't see the basis of such attacks and criticisms."

He particularly said he did not understand why former President Rawlings always wanted to pick a fight with him but he claimed he was not ready to engage anybody in a fight.

The former President expressed appreciation over the fortunes of Ghana and the rich legacy of human and natural resources that abound in this country and said, "we've got all that it takes to become a great nation."

He insists on good leadership and excellent governance, coupled with sustainable development, to back the quality of life for the youth of this country.

Former President Kufuor called on Ghanaians not to compromise democratic governance and valid franchise and urged Ghanaians to "vote for quality not for propaganda and sloganeering."

The former President won the presidential election of December 2000, after a run-off vote, taking 56.9 per cent of the votes.

He was re-elected on December 7, 2004, earning 52.45 per cent of votes cast.

His administration's domestic policy in the first term was marked by fiscal and monetary stringency on the economic front, aimed at stabilising a national economy that had stagnated and was in decline.

His social vision was focused on unleashing the entrepreneurial, creative and innovative potential of Ghanaians as a means of creating wealth to deal with the social challenges facing them.

This socio-economic vision was encapsulated in the five priority areas programme.

President Kufuor's foreign policy was underpinned by what he termed "economic diplomacy.”

It is within this context that in Africa in general and in West Africa in particular a good neighbour policy has been pursued, which has seen Ghana under ex-President Ku-fuor brokering peace in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote d'lvoire and Guinea-Bissau among other African states.

On the global stage, former President Kufuor has actively sought the establishment of a just and equitable international social and economic order, while promoting and safeguarding the interests of Ghana through bilateral and multilateral agreements.

His stature as statesman, democrat and credible spokesman for Africa has found expression in his invitation to major international meetings and conferences, including the founding summit of the AU, G8 Summits in Sea Island, Georgia and Glenneagles, Scotland and the World Economic Forum, among others.

Now out office, the former President has won the prestigious World Food Prize, jointly with the former Brazillian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

During his tenure, ex President Kufuor made agricultural policies a national priority. Ghana also became the first sub-Saharan African country to cut in half the proportion of people suffering from hunger and the proportion living on less than one dollar a day.

In July 2009, Mr Kufuor became a member of the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation International Advisory Board so that he could contribute his expertise to the organisation's poverty reduction work.

He also led the African Union server team to Nigeria and Malawi to oversee elections in those countries. He has also attended and participated in numerous international fora and has on a number of times been in the chair.