The chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has taken a swipe at President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, accusing him of not helping the local garment industry by choosing to wear a suit to deliver his maiden State of the Nation Address.

Mr Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, 21 February, delivering his address before parliament, wore a black suit over a white shirt and grey tie. But according to Mr Mornah, the president’s wardrobe was not Ghanaian.

Speaking to Class News, he noted that Mr Akufo-Addo’s decision to wear suit could cripple the local garment industry.

“The president came to parliament and spoke very well. He spoke about establishing factories including garments and said that he was going to set a personal example and then I got devastated that at the time the president was talking about establishing the local garment [industry], the president came in a three-piece suit. The vice-president [also] came in a…suit, which is not Ghanaian,” he lamented.

“If the president wants to showcase his readiness for all of us to emulate him, then I think that he must appreciate that when he talks of promoting the local garment industry [and he wants] all of us to be excited about it, then the only way he can ensure that is, he must patronise the local garment. [This is] because there are many Ghanaians, young and old, who are looking up to the president to possibly dress like him and then they see their president in a…suit.

They see their vice-president on an important occasion in a…suit and then they hear in the same president’s speech that he is going to promote local garment and that he was going to set a personal example particularly with time and others.

They [will] say, ‘the president likes suit so me too I want to become a president so I will like suit’. You are not helping the local garment industry…” he added.