Ghana’s outgoing President, Nana Akufo-Addo, is facing criticism on social media after unveiling a statue of himself during a tour of the country’s Western Region.
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According to regional minister Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the monument is intended to celebrate the president’s development accomplishments while in government.
However, many Ghanaians have mocked its installation outside a hospital in the city of Sekondi, calling it “self-glorification”.
Akufo-Addo, who will step down in January after two terms in office, boasts that he has kept 80% of his pledges to Ghanaians.
He inaugurated the memorial on Wednesday during his “thank-you tour” of Sekondi’s Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
At the occasion, Darko-Mensah, who supervises the Western Region, highlighted many major initiatives launched by the president.
However, the statue has provoked a surge of criticism, with some Ghanaians questioning its significance while several major projects remain unfinished.
“It would be admirable if the president had allowed posterity to recognise and appreciate his work,” a user wrote to X.
A portion of the public is demanding for the statue, whose photographs have gone viral, to recognise and appreciate his work,” an X user posted.
A section of the public is calling for the statue – photos of which have gone viral – to be pulled down after the president leaves office.
However, not everyone is negative; others see it as recognition of Akufo-Addo’s contributions to the country’s progress.”He is really worthy of this magnificent monument. The greatest president I have ever had. “You will be missed by Ghanaians,” one user tweeted, adding that Akufo-Addo was the “founder of Ghana’s free education system.”
During his tour, the 80-year-old president has cited his program of eliminating secondary school fees as his “most significant legacy”. His visit has also contributed to the ruling New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) nationwide campaign.
The Western Region, located in the southwest, is one of the country’s 16 regions.
The president urged those present to vote for his deputy, Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, in next month’s general election. He’ll be the NPP’s candidate and Akufo-Addo said a vote for him would see the continuation of the party’s policies and projects.
Bawumia’s main challenger will be former President John Dramani Mahama, who is seeking a comeback under the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The high cost of living is a key campaign issue in Ghana, Africa’s leading producer of gold.