Former President John Agyekum Kufuor says Ghana owes its former
leaders and statesmen a duty to treat them with dignity as is being
demonstrated in other jurisdictions such as the United States of
America.

Addressing attendees of a Thanksgiving dinner organized by President
Akufo-Addo, to celebrate him on the occasion of his 80th birthday at the
Jubilee House, former President Kufuor, referring to the remarks of
former United States President Barack Obama, at the funeral of the
late 41st President of the United States, George Bush Snr.
said the Nation Ghana has no reason to mistreat her current and former
leaders.

“When it got to Obama’s turn,  he said before he got to the White
House, the Oval Office, his opinion of some of the people who had gone
ahead of him wasn’t that good, but once he got in there and saw the
multitude of challenges that afflicted them by the day, you can even say
by the hour,  not only from the United States but from around the world
and how these people managed to tackle some of these challenges within
the very short span of  office they were given,  he got to feel that all
of them were very honourable people and that they tried to do their
best for their country.

“For that, he attended that celebration to praise Bush Jnr. and to
ask the United States to look on all these retired Presidents as
honourable people. Bush Jnr. wept because of the way Obama Addressed the
gathering. I believe this is how we need to learn to treat our leaders
both sitting and past and what the President has done tonight I believe
is a lesson that should not be lost to on us,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo, in a brief statement, recalled the several
names the former President is usually associated with or affectionately
called; Kofi Diewou, JAK, Gentle Gaint, and Apagyafiemunnipa.

President Akufo-Addo said undoubtedly, former President Kufuor has
been the most successful leader in the Danquah, Dombo, Busia Tradition.
The President on his own behalf and on the behalf of the
first lady, Rebecca Akufo Addo, wished former President Kufuor a happy
birthday and God’s abundant blessings on him and his wife Teresa.