Kufuor Foundation CEO Dismisses NPP Supreme Court Petition, Praises Ablakwa’s Sterling Leadership
By Gifty Boateng
Governance expert and Chief Executive Officer of the Kufuor Foundation, Prof. Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has dismissed suggestions that President John Dramani Mahama could seek to remain in office beyond the two terms permitted by the 1992 Constitution.
According to him, the President is too decent to manipulate the country’s supreme law to extend his stay in power, despite growing calls and petitions seeking a Supreme Court interpretation of the presidential term-limit provisions.
Speaking recently, Prof. Agyeman-Duah said he knows President Mahama personally and is confident he will respect the Constitution and leave office at the end of his current term.
“Mahama is a decent man. I don’t have to advise him; I know him. He has said it many times that he has to respect the Constitution, and he believes in it. No pressure can make this man say that he is going to manipulate it and stay on,” he said.
“I am telling you that it will not happen that Mahama will extend his tenure. No one can force him, and personally, he will not go,” he added.
His comments come amid renewed debate over presidential term limits, following the filing of several petitions at the Supreme Court seeking an interpretation of the constitutional provisions governing the number of terms a president may serve.
The latest petition was filed by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), which is seeking clarity on the relevant provisions of the 1992 Constitution.
President Mahama has repeatedly stated that he is serving his final term in office and will not seek another mandate. He has also acknowledged that the Constitution limits a president to two terms, whether served consecutively or otherwise.
However, some individuals have questioned whether the existing constitutional framework should be reconsidered to allow a president more time to pursue national development goals. One of those who has publicly advocated for a possible review is the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A Plus.
Beyond the term-limit debate, Prof. Agyeman-Duah expressed excitement about the government’s plan to construct the Accra-Kumasi expressway, arguing that Ghana should have developed such major road infrastructure decades ago.
He recalled that several African countries, including Nigeria, made progress on expressways long before Ghana, citing routes linking Lagos and Ibadan, among other major cities, which he observed during a visit to that country.
He also noted that Ghana’s ambition to build major road networks was not new, pointing to former President Ignatius Kutu Acheampong’s proposed Golden Triangle project, which was intended to connect Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi.
According to the governance expert, Ghana’s development has been undermined by a political culture in which successive governments abandon projects initiated by their predecessors.
“Our country is bedeviled with a politics of division that thrives on the discontinuation of projects after a new government takes over. It is an evil thing, triple evil,” he said.
He expressed the hope that the expressway project initiated under President Mahama would continue beyond the President’s tenure, stressing that major national infrastructure projects should not be abandoned because of changes in government, and that the President’s constitutional commitment to serve only two terms should not prevent the country from pursuing long-term development projects.
Ablakwa’s Diplomacy Praised
Prof. Agyeman-Duah also expressed satisfaction with Ghana’s foreign policy direction under the current administration, commending Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa for his leadership and assertive diplomatic approach.
“Now I am very happy with the way Ghana’s foreign policy has turned and our foreign policy is being led by Okudzeto Ablakwa,” he said.
He noted that Ghana was increasingly gaining international recognition and respect, reflecting the leadership of President Mahama, whom he said deserved credit for the performance of his appointees.
“Look, I see Ghana today as a nation in the world getting some respect. It is important, and it is under his [President Mahama’s] leadership,” he stated.
While saying the government’s overall performance was encouraging, he singled out Mr. Ablakwa, together with Roads and Highways Minister Governs Kwame Agbodza, as ministers who were distinguishing themselves through commitment and delivery.
He particularly admired Mr. Ablakwa’s strong Pan-Africanist convictions, arguing that Africa needed leaders prepared to defend the continent’s interests and dignity. He likened the Minister’s ideological outlook, in some respects, to that of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, while clarifying that the comparison was not an exact one.
Prof. Agyeman-Duah also cited the government’s response to the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, particularly the evacuation of affected Ghanaians, as an example of Mr. Ablakwa’s assertive diplomacy. Although he acknowledged that allegations had emerged concerning aspects of the evacuation exercise, he said he was not familiar with all the details but commended the Minister for ensuring that affected Ghanaians were brought home.
He further praised Mr. Ablakwa for issuing strong statements directed at the South African government over developments affecting Ghanaians, saying such interventions demonstrated a willingness to defend Ghana’s sovereignty and national interests that previous Foreign Ministers had not always displayed with similar firmness.
Ghana, he maintained, needed a foreign policy leadership that was confident, assertive and committed to protecting the country’s dignity in its dealings with other nations.
Prof. Agyeman-Duah’s endorsement adds to the public discussion surrounding Ghana’s foreign policy direction and the role of Mr. Ablakwa in advancing the country’s diplomatic interests under the Mahama administration.