What people need in a crisis is leadership not ‘you didn’t vote for me’ comment – Prof. Gyampo chides Akufo-Addo

Prof. Ransford Gyampo, a senior lecturer in political science at the University of Ghana in Legon, has encouraged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to take charge in the face of the flooding catastrophe that has affected parts of the Volta, Eastern, and Greater Accra Regions.
The Volta River Authority (VRA) let the Akosombo and Kpong dams spill their contents, flooding a number of settlements.

As a result, at least 12,000 individuals have been forced from their houses and are currently staying in tents, churches, and schools.
President Akufo-Addo assured the residents of Mepe, one of the impacted communities in the Volta Region, of the government’s support, but he said he wouldn’t have gone there if it had been a question of who had voted for him.

“I came here because it is my job to try and assist Ghanaians who are struggling and suffering. You shouldn’t be here if it’s a matter of calculating who votes for me and who doesn’t because you don’t vote for me, but that’s not what I care about.

“I came here this afternoon to offer my concerns and to sympathise with all the people in the Mepe region, I chose Mepe because this is the area that has been most affected,” President Akufo-Addo stated. “In any case, one day you will vote for me and my party.

On Saturday, October 21, during the Key Points programme on TV3, Prof. Ransford Gyampo said he did not appreciate the president’s demeanour.

He said that the president should exercise leadership in times of crises rather than making statements like “you didn’t vote for me.”
“I didn’t appreciate the president’s body language and demeanour when he visited these victims, particularly when he was speaking to the Togbui and directing his left hand at him.

Prof. Ransford Gyampo stated, “In situations like this when there is a disaster, all that is needed is leadership, and when you talk about leadership, you are talking about the ability to inspire confidence in people.

Your utterances should inspire confidence in them and make them feel like we can overcome this challenge. The way and manner in which he spoke, in my opinion, was completely unpresidential, and it is becoming one too many,” Prof. Gyampo said.

The political science instructor also suggested that as President Akufo-Addo neared the conclusion of his second term, he should focus establishing a legacy that people will be proud of.