Musah Superior writes;
SUCCESSFUL CORPORATE MANEUVERERS MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE GOOD PRESIDENTS
To assume that successful businessmen or corporate maneuverers can make good presidents is an outlandish view. Business people are good at making money, and should be commended for building successful businesses to support the economy. Many accomplished Ghanaian businesses have become part of our story; one of resilience and optimism. But, it is unpersuasive to conclude that persons with great business or corporate skills can be good Presidents.
Business people are focused on building their businesses. They are mainly “inward looking” and unapologeically profit oriented. They are smaller entities in the bigger Ghanaian enterprise.
All Ghanaian entities, including businesses require quality presidential leadership; one that will create the enabling environment for the private sector to become the main pillar for our industrious growth. Governance is fundamentally about people. Good governance involves guiding, motivating, and developing individuals and business to achieve economic freedom and social uplifment. When people feel valued, supported, and motivated, they are more likely to be engaged productively to contribute to significant development of our country.
Presidents responsibility is to take care of ALL of their citizens and institutions. Their job is much more complex than the private business owners who have very few people under their control and supervision.
Ghana is a global player and the president has responsibilities internationally in shaping relationships with other countries and international organizations. His actions and or lack of actions can affect our daily lives and individual freedoms as well as the common good of our country. He must also demonstrably seek to constantly protect our reputation domestically and internationally.
In Ghana, the president wields both formal and informal powers. He is expected to be a unifying person for the entire country. He must exemplify the highest leadership qualities and honor the values of our country. The president is responsible for overseeing the execution and enforcement of laws for the well-being of everyone in the country. He is solely in charge of the Ghanaian bureaucracy which regulates the entire society.
The entirety of article 58 of the 1992 Constitution spells out the Executive Authority of Ghana and its exercise. It states without ambiguity that the executive authority is vested in the President, who exercises it in accordance with the Constitution.
Given the power the president wields as detailed in article 58, we have a huge responsibily as good citizens to elect a person with unquestionable integrity and good temperament. He must be dependable, reliable, competent, appreciate policy and international relations and have sound judgement and be a rational decision maker.
If a person is not cut for the job of president and decides to take up that role because he or she has exceptional skills in business management, they may be found wanting.
Successful countries all over the world are led by POLICY NERDS, experienced in governance, highly skilled and technologically savvy people; not business monguls or Wall Street operatives.
Dr Bawumia remains the NPP’s most popular, credible, competent and ingenious person to be our 2028 flagbearer. His integrity is indubitable and he is not easily swayed by excessive emotions.