The lack of visionary and effective leadership in Africa has been blamed for poor governance and the slow pace of development of the continent, former President John A. Kufuor has said.
He said if Africa could get the leadership question right, such progressive leadership would usher in good governance regiments on the continent.
“Good leadership will engender the all-embracing and inclusive development that we all yearn for,” he said.
Introduction of new CEO
Former President Kufuor was speaking at the introduction of the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the John Agyekum Kufuor (JAK) Foundation in Accra yesterday.
Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, a former Senior Special Advisor at the United Nations Mission in Liberia from 2008 to 2013, becomes the first substantive CEO of the foundation.
The independent and non-political foundation, established three years ago, is aimed at promoting effective leadership, democratic governance and development in Ghana and Africa.
It also engages in advocacy and acts as a facilitator for development issues such as agriculture, health, election monitoring, climate change, mediation and peace missions, among others initiative.
“We need transformational leaders”
Former President Kufuor said a look back at the 50 years or more of independence on the continent would show that Africa had had many rulers but not leaders.
“Generally, rulers maintain the status quo and do not add much to what they inherit or sometimes destroy what has been bequeathed to them, whereas leaders, with their insight, tend to be transformational,” he said.
Foundation to solve leadership deficit
He said it was in an attempt to address that leadership deficit that he founded the JAK Foundation aimed at inculcating the tenets of good leadership in all spheres in the people.
“The foundation seeks to do this through a Centre of Excellence in Leadership to be based at the University of Ghana. We will do this by bringing to the centre accomplished leaders worldwide in all spheres to interact with students by way of lectures and colloquiums,” he said.
Presidential Library
He said the centre would also serve as an incubator of the youth imbued with the right qualities of leadership that could help transform the continent.
The former President said the JAK Foundation was also building a presidential library and museum complex on the campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.
Specialised training for students
For his part, Prof Agyeman-Duah said the country and Africa could not hope to develop without effective leadership and good governance.
“The foundation is, therefore, adopting practical approaches to projects that directly impact positively on the lives of the people,” he said.
He added that the foundation would offer specialised training and mentoring, particularly for the youth, and organise annual residential training in good citizenship and ethics.
“Also, the President Kufuor Scholars Programme will be instituted for university students who will be specially selected, granted scholarships and mentored in leadership,” he said.
