Rocky55 Blog of Monday, 9 December 2024
Source: Isaac Appiah
Following their overwhelming victory in the general elections of 2024, ecstatic supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have taken down and discarded Nana Akufo-Addo's contentious statue. Once outside the Effia Nkwanta Hospital in Sekondi, the statue was overturned amid jubilant celebrations, igniting a heated public discussion over its meaning and the deeper annoyances it symbolizes. On November 7, 2024, pictures of the broken statue resting on the ground went viral online, eliciting conflicting responses from Ghanaians. Many supporters of the NDC viewed the gesture as a symbolic rejection of Nana Akufo-Addo's government and its policies, which they said had not adequately addressed the people's daily difficulties.
Western Regional Minister Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah described the statue as "a testament to the president's visionary leadership" when it was first dedicated in honor of Akufo-Addo's development projects. But long before it was taken down, it had drawn criticism for being situated outside a hospital with subpar amenities and encircled by bad road infrastructure. Many locals saw it as a tone-deaf sign of "self-glorification" that was incompatible with the urgent needs of the area.
One inhabitant of Sekondi said, "This statue was an insult to us too." "When there aren't enough fundamental amenities like decent roads and healthcare, how do you honor a leader with such opulence? The people will be treated fairly if it is removed.
Source: MyNewsGh.com