President Nana Akufo-Addo, unveiled a statue of himself at the entrance of Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi on Wednesday, November 6, during a one-day ‘thank you’ tour of the Western Region.
This has triggered mixed reactions from the public, with many calling for the statue to be demolished a day after he leaves office.
The Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital, was established in 1938 as a military hospital by the then Gold Coast government.
The hospital, located in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, six years older than President Akufo-Addo, used to be one of Ghana’s ten regional hospitals.
Explaining the rationale behind the statue, the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, who spearheaded the event at an unknown cost, said the monument honours the President’s contributions to the region.
He listed the rehabilitation of Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, the construction of a three-tier Sinohydro interchange, and the redevelopment of the Takoradi Market Circle, as done by the President Akufo-Addo administration.
However, President Akufo-Addo, has since been facing a backlash on social media after his Goodbye tour of the Western Region, with many Ghanaians mocking the installation of the statue outside a hospital labelling it as, “self-glorification”.
They expressed displeasure over the decision, as they deemed it needless.
Some even asked for its demolishing, soon after the president exited office.
A user commented, “As soon as he leaves office, we must pull it down. Nonsense!”
Another said, “Why would a man build his own statue and unveil it himself? This is weird.”
A commenter questioned the president for failing to complete the National Cathedral, but having a statue done for him.
“He no finish dey build the cathedral for God, buh he finish ein own statue. Hhheerh Deezy”.
“A salt praising itself” another user added.
“The people of the Western Region deserve better than these self-serving displays,” opposition MP Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah posted on X.
Akufo-Addo, who will be standing down in January after two terms in power, boasted that he has fulfilled 80percent of his promises to Ghanaians.
“It would be admirable if the president had allowed posterity to recognise and appreciate his work,” an X user posted.
A section of the public is calling for the statue – photos of which have gone viral – to be pulled down after the president leaves office.
But not everyone is critical, with some seeing it as an acknowledgement of Akufo-Addo’s contributions to the development of the country.
“He is very deserving of this exquisite monument. The greatest president I’ve ever had. You will be missed by Ghanaians,” one person posted, adding that Akufo-Addo was the “founder of Ghana’s free education system”.
During his tour, the 80-year-old president has singled out his policy to scrap fees for secondary schools as his “most significant legacy”.
His visit has also fed into campaigning nationwide by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). Western Region, in the south-west, is one of 16 regions in the country.
The president urged people there to vote for his deputy, Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, in next month’s general election.
He will be the NPP’s candidate and Akufo-Addo, said a vote for him would see the continuation of the party’s policies and projects.
Addressing residents, President Akufo-Addo highlighted his administration’s accomplishments, noting that he has fulfilled 80 per cent of his promises to Ghanaians.
He urged voters to support Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in the upcoming December 7 general elections, stating that a vote for the NPP’s flagbearer would enable the continuation of his administration’s policies and initiatives.
The President, also described the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy as his most significant legacy, citing its transformative impact nationwide. Meanwhile, these projects remain incomplete.
