Upper Dixcove Traditional Council, has claimed ownership of the controversial statue in honour of President Nana Akufo Addo at the 86-year-old Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital roundabout in Takoradi in the Western Region.
Obrempong Nana Hima Dekyi XIV, a member of the Council, disclosed that it cost them GH₵30,000 to erect the statue.
He said, he and his colleagues, willingly contributed the amount to fund the erection of the statue to appreciate the President for the many projects he has executed in the Western Region since assuming power.
This comes after the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, joined the criticism of President Akufo-Addo, over the statue.
The President is facing a storm of criticism on social media after unveiling a statue of himself.
Many Ghanaians see it as an act of self-promotion rather than public service, sparking backlash online.
Mr Mahama, said the president should have allowed others to pat him on the back, not himself.
“He has gone to Takoradi to put his statue and unveiled it. A president must be humble; you must let others praise you instead of praising yourself,” he said.
But in an interview with TV 3 monitored by GhanaWeb, Obrempong Nana Hima Dekyi XIV, said he’s not heard any public disagreement over the statue.
“”I have not heard anybody complaining that they are not happy about it. I am unable to speak to that. Indeed, as we have listed in the communiqué, we agree that some of the projects have not been completed. But once it has been started, we hope and anticipate that definitely, they will come to completion.”
Despite the controversy, some Ghanaians on social media have defended the monument, praising Akufo-Addo’s contributions, particularly his flagship policy of free secondary education, which he has highlighted as his “most significant legacy.”
Supporters hailed him as the architect of Ghana’s free education system, with one fan posting, “He is deserving of this monument—the greatest president I’ve ever had.”
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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.
