The Member of Parliament for Damongo and Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has expressed confidence that former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s legacy will ultimately be judged favourably by history, despite contemporary criticism of his administration.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme on Thursday, January 15, Mr Jinapor argued that history is never written in real time and that the true measure of leadership only emerges years after a president has left office.
According to him, present political sentiments should not be mistaken for final historical verdicts.
“If you are a student of history, you will know that history is not written in contemporary times. It has never been so,” Mr Jinapor said. “History is not written in the moment. That is why it is often said that, when it comes to history, the jury is still out.”
To support his argument, Mr Jinapor drew on Ghana’s political past, recalling the overthrow of Dr Kwame Nkrumah in 1966.
He noted that while there was widespread public jubilation at the time, history has since been rewritten to recognise Nkrumah’s enduring contribution to nation-building and Pan-Africanism.
He further pointed to the experiences of former President John Agyekum Kufuor, observing that even before the end of his tenure in 2008, he was subjected to significant public criticism that has since softened with historical reflection.
The Damongo MP also cited the first term of President John Dramani Mahama, who faced intense scrutiny and negative commentary following his exit from office in 2016.
“When President Mahama left office in 2016, what did people not say about him?” he asked, suggesting that harsh judgement at the point of exit is a recurring feature of democratic politics.
Extending his analysis beyond Ghana, Mr Jinapor referenced the United Kingdom, citing Sir Winston Churchill as a prominent example of a leader whose greatness was not immediately affirmed by the electorate.
Despite leading Britain to victory in the Second World War, Churchill lost the 1945 general election while still engaged in high-level international negotiations at Yalta.
He added that similar patterns are evident in the United States, where many leaders now regarded as iconic were heavily criticised as they were leaving office.
According to Mr Jinapor, these examples reinforce the idea that political courage often attracts resistance in the short term but recognition in the long term.
“It is often said that the man who steps into the arena, who dares, who gets battered and soiled, is the one who truly matters,” he said. “That, for me, is President Akufo-Addo.”
Mr Jinapor’s comment was his conviction that former President Akufo-Addo’s work will, over time, be fully appreciated and celebrated.
“I am clear in my mind that the work President Akufo-Addo has done in this country will, in due course and in the fullness of time, earn him a place in Ghana’s history, written in gold,” he stated. “There is no doubt about that.”
He singled out the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy as a landmark achievement that alone guarantees the President a permanent place in Ghanaian history, describing it as a transformative intervention that has expanded access to education for millions of young Ghanaians.
Mr Jinapor acknowledged that many Ghanaians remain unconvinced about former President Akufo-Addo’s record, noting that some critics portray him as the worst president the country has ever had.
He rejected this characterisation, insisting that it does not reflect the totality of the former President’s contributions.
“That is simply not true,” he said. “He is one of the best presidents Ghana has had and has undertaken considerable work for the country.”
While defending the President’s legacy, Mr Jinapor conceded that the administration has presided over difficult economic conditions that have caused hardship for sections of the population.
He attributed these challenges to a combination of external shocks and deliberate policy decisions aimed at stabilising and reforming the economy.
“We must also admit that the national economy ran into difficulties due to external factors, as well as some decisions and interventions that were implemented to ensure recovery and to clean up the economic system,” he said.
He stressed that acknowledging these difficulties does not diminish the administration’s long-term impact, noting that former President Akufo-Addo himself has openly admitted the hardships experienced by Ghanaians.
Mr Jinapor maintained that while public opinion may be sharply divided today, history will take a broader and more balanced view of former President Akufo-Addo’s tenure.
For him, the ultimate judgement lies not in present political debate but in “due course and in the fullness of time.”
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