General News of Tuesday, 31 October 2017

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

President Akufo-Addo must demonstrate leadership – Ransford Gyampo

Prof. Ransford Gyampo, Director CES, University of Ghana play videoProf. Ransford Gyampo, Director CES, University of Ghana

A Political Science lecturer and the Director for Centre for European Studies at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has called on President Akufo-Addo to demonstrate leadership by sacking Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, George Ayisi Boateng, from his government.

According to him comments by Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa that some Ghanaians are more important than others, are not comments that will help President Nana Akufo-Addo to succeed because as a leader, he should have the ability to inspire confidence and influence his workers to succeed.

“When we talk about leadership, we are talking about ability of the head to inspire confidence and to influence his workers, his team and his followers to want to give enthusiastic corporation to help the leader succeed” he said.

He added that the comments by Ayisi Boateng are contrary to President Nana Akufo-Addo’s avowed promise to be fair to all manner of persons during his inauguration on January 7 at the independence square.

Professor Gyampo’s comments follows a remark attributed to the High Commissioner to South Africa when he addressed the Tertiary Students’ Confederacy Network (TESCON) at the Kumasi Technical University.

The High Commissioner told the students wing of the NPP that they (TESCON members) are more Ghanaian than others, therefore, they must be considered first in employment opportunities before others.

“Indeed I’m not boasting, but I’ve started meeting the NPP groups. Every weekend I meet some group members and I tell you if I had my way, every job opportunity that will come will go to a TESCON member before any other person. And I know my colleague appointees also have the same feeling except that because of IMF we cannot do anything now,” he said.

“A TESCON member is my priority, an NPP member is my priority. We are all Ghanaians but some are more Ghanaian than others….this government is doing its best to create job opportunities and me for instance, I told my people over there [that], it is because of NPP that I’m here, so the NPP man is my priority. I told them when NDC was in power it was Kwesi Ahwoi who was there, now we are in power, so Ayisi Boateng is here with you. My topmost priority is the problems of an NPP person before any other Ghanaian, take it or leave it,” he added.

But the Political Science lecturer believes that these comments are divisive and discriminatory and thus called on the President to sack Ayisi Boateng from his government.

“I am looking at the President to demonstrate leadership and to show him the exit,” he stressed.