The Minister nominee for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has clarified the comments he made about the Akufo-Addo administration during the former President’s final SoNA in Parliament.
Mr. Buah, after Akufo-Addo’s State of the Nation Nation Address (SoNA) on Friday, January 03, 2025, summarised his administration as one that has been the worst in history.
The comments received widespread opinions from both parts of the political divide, with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) describing it as scornful.
The matter came up during the Member of Parliament’s appearance before the Appointments Committee Monday, January 27, 2025.
Reacting to a question from Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annor Dompreh, the Member of Parliament for Ellembele in the Western region said he did not attack Akufo-Addo’s personality but expressed the sentiment of Ghanaians about the government.
“I have enormous respect for President Akufo-Addo and any President that will occupy this highest seat of our land because the decisions that they are confronted with are enormous, and grave, and so I don’t think we take that lightly at all.
“I was reflecting the views of the people of Ghana, who felt that they have gone through so many hardships, and that’s why the reference was to his government and not to his person,” he stated.
When asked if he would retract and apologise to the former President with the benefit of the hindsight, he indicated that “as Deputy Majority Leader, I had a duty that day, and I believe those were words that resonated with the people of Ghana.”
“Now, if there are words that came out that sounded in any way disrespectful, I’ll regret it,” he added.
When probed further about the perceived harshness of the tone, he said “if there are words that can convene the exact things that I said that in your view, are better than what I said maybe you can give me, so then at another opportunity, I can use those words.”
Background
On January 3, shortly after former President Akufo-Addo delivered his final SONA in Parliament, Mr Armah Kofi-Buah, in his capacity as the Minority Leader at the time, delivered scathing remarks summarizing what he described as widespread dissatisfaction with the government’s tenure.
“The people of Ghana have already given their verdict on the true state of the country, and that verdict was very clear: economic hardship, huge debt, high youth unemployment, hopelessness, and more. We have come to the end of the road under what has undoubtedly been the worst government in the Fourth Republic,” he stated.
The MP also criticized what he described as reckless borrowing and mismanagement, citing the controversial National Cathedral project as emblematic of the administration’s priorities. “Mr. President, you will be remembered as the first president who was cushioned by the IMF when you began, and you are still being cushioned at the end of your term… I will leave the matter of the cathedral between you and your God,” he added.
But the nominee, despite the criticism insisted that he represented the sentiments of Ghanaians and did not attack the personality of the former President.
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