Opinions of Saturday, 3 June 2017

Columnist: theheraldghana.com

Who is in charge of my president’s wardrobe?

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

The clothes you wear often define you. Therefore, it is very important to choose your clothes very carefully; unfortunately that is not the case with our president.

Those who are surprised that things appear to be moving along these lines ignore the history of the man in question, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has always had problem with dressing.

Forget his recent appearance for a while and come down memory lane with me. Nothing much, just recent memory.

In 2008, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) campaign committee headed by the late, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, in a memo sent to the then presidential candidate, simply said he dresses badly to public events.

NPP members, who discussed these personality flaws of their Candidate, were Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, Brigadier Joseph Odei, Victor Newman, John Boadu, Dan Botwe, Lord Commey, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko and Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor.

Others were; Dr. Arthur K. Kennedy, Kwabena Agyapong, Yaw Buabeng-Asamoah, Prince Aboagye, Miss. Saratu Atta, Miss. Fosua Newman, and Mr. Isaac Ato Mensah.

The team advised that “whatever clothes he wears must be selected such that he stands out from the background,” and directed that, “he should wear simple shirts that go over the belt.” Nana Addo, should also “wear a smile on his face in public”.

This is a familiar pattern of our president, who has decided to internationalize his bad dressing.

I can pardon him and overlook how he chooses to present himself in public as an opposition leader, but as someone who represents the spirit of this nation, I find it appalling that, the number one gentleman of the land will decide to dress anyhow.

The handlers of the president, must constantly remind him of his position, he no longer has private life, his life is now a matter of concern to the state, so he can go around flaunting himself as if, nothing is at stake.

What he wears is paid for by the state; he must make good of all that we spend on him. If he does not have knack for good things, his wife who by all indications appears to know ‘what time it is’, must help her husband to stop making mockery of Ghana.

No matter how one looks, there is always something that will fit the person. President Akufo-Addo, must know the cloth that fits him well and brings out the best in his personality and go for it.

The first thing people notices about you when you appear before them is your dressing. It is the reason why, women particularly take their time before they step out of the house.

When you go to some offices, how you are dressed will determine the reception you will get. If you are rich and badly dressed, a poor man, who is well dressed will be extended the courtesies that are reserved for the rich and powerful.

Since we ushered in the Fourth republican dispensation in 1992, our past presidents until now all had swag.

Former president, Jerry Jonh Rawlings, always dresses to kill, even if he is wearing a rag, it looks good on him.

His successor President John Agyekum Kufuor, was the best of all. His dressing to occasions always wows his audience, he never leaves anything to chance, he is always at his best. From head to toe, he will let all around to know that, he is the number one gentleman of the land.

President John Evans Atta Mills of blessed memory was not too fashionable, but he has a taste for good things. He identified with political suit and he wears what fits him. Anytime he decides to wear suit too, he appears well presentable and admirable.

President John Dramani Mahama, epitomized president Kufuor, born post independence and identifies with the present generation, his swag was just classic. He dresses to kill and his choice of clothing for occasions is what puts him miles ahead of his predecessors. He was a typical Ghanaian president, as they say Ghanaians ‘eye open’ and so was our president.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, did not only set us on o a backward course, but he has done that with impunity.

His dresses are always bigger than him; it looks like he inherited from his father. When he wears suit, it is like his wearing funeral cloth. He is hanging inside like a borrowed dress. Don’t they measure him before sewing or buying?

His latest outfit was the worse in recent past. What is the president desperately trying to hide that, we cannot see his hands. Even football players during winter, have stopped wearing jerseys longer than their hand.

We won’t mind him wearing gloves, if that will help him hide whatever he is seeking to hide, but to wearing this thing hanging like this, is not only an embarrassment to him, but to the whole nation.

President Akufo-Addo during the campaign was dressing like a goal keeper; I do not think the latest appearance is a clever way of reinventing that dressing.

Bath a pig, cloth a pig and it will still be a pig. Maybe there is nothing we can do about him, after all humanbeings are creatures of habit.