The First Lady of the 4th Republic of Ghana, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, walked out of Parliament angrily and ignored the Speaker, Kingsford Alban Bagbin, after NDC MP Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah made remarks about her husband, outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo, that did not sit well with her.
Shortly after President Akufo-Addo’s final State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament on Friday, January 3, Kofi-Buah, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for the Ellembele constituency, took the floor and made several pointed remarks at the President, and did so looking directly at him. As he spoke, other members of the NDC mocked and responded with “yes.”
“The people of Ghana have already given their verdict on the true state of the country, and that verdict was very, 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.
“This abysmal record was confirmed on December 7th when the people of Ghana delivered the most overwhelming and emphatic vote of rejection any government has ever witnessed in the Fourth Republic.”
Kofi-Buah continued his critique, saying, “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. You left something very important in your account – you left out an account of your promise to God to build a cathedral. But, Mr President, I will leave that between you and your God.”
He added, “Let me remind His Excellency that his tenure in office will remain a timely reminder of how not to govern a country.”
In a more hopeful tone, he concluded, “But let me also be quick to assure the good people of Ghana that hope is on its way. With President John Dramani Mahama and the NDC, we can once again have a brighter future, emerging from this glare of despair.”
After the meeting, when the Speaker attempted to exchange pleasantries with the First Lady, she shook her head and ignored him, stating, “I’m not coming” twice while walking out angrily.
On her way out, she remarked, “You sit there and allow people to speak…,” though the rest of her comment was not clearly heard.
Public reaction has been mixed; some Ghanaians sided with the First Lady, arguing that no woman would be comfortable hearing such remarks about her husband. However, critics questioned whether she condones the actions of her husband during his presidency.
