The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has clarified that he is the ultimate decision maker in government. He said there is no ambiguity about where the buck stops when it comes to responsibility for what happens in the government.
Addressing Parliament on the State of the Nation Address (SONA 2024) on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, Nana Akufo-Addo noted under the Constitution, the executive power of the state is vested in the President of the Republic, adding he or she is the Executive and there is no ambiguity about where the buck stops, when it comes to responsibility for what happens in the government.
“Mr Speaker, the president and his appointees are not universally loved, and it will be strange and unproductive if they were. It is probably worthwhile making what I consider to be important observations at this stage on some of the issues in our public discourse, in the lead up to the elections for a new President.”
He emphasized it stops with the President and stressed he or she has ultimate responsibility.
“The Cabinet, the Ministers of State all act in an advisory manner. Of course, a member of the government might take an idea, be it generated by the President or the official or a committee, and turn it into a huge success, and the honours would be claimed or shared where public perception falls” he vehemently stated.
Mr. Akuo-Addo however indicated that it would be an unwise President that would pretend to have all the answers, and refuse the advice of his officials, but the fact remains that the President holds the executive power.
He emphasized the programmes that come from the Executive benefit from the rigorous public examination and debates to which they are subjected.
We all now take for granted and, sometimes, even bemoan the vigorous media and civil society organisation scrutiny that characterise public discourse. But, ultimately, the President is responsible, and, therefore, takes the credit or the blame for whatever happens in his or her government. Let me make a second point” he stated.
The responds of the President comes on the back of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) criticizing the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who is also the 2024 Presidential candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party from shying away from the current economic meltdown in the country.
The NDC insist that the Vice President must accept responsibility of failure as Chairman of the Economic Management Team.
