A former President, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, says he regrets nothing he did as President. However, he wished he had carried his vision for the country to the end before his eight-year term of office ended.
He said his plans to develop the bauxite and aluminium industry and the petrochemical industry, and establishing offshore banking could not be realised even though he had gone far with arrangements.
He was, however, satisfied that he had built a booming economy for the country where the cedi was at par with the dollar and the private sector was vibrant.
Prize Fellowship
Mr Kufuor said this in a chat with the Daily Graphic at his residence in Accra last Friday when a son of Professor William Abraham, Mr Henry Abraham, who was honoured for winning a Prize Fellowship at the All Souls College of the Oxford University in 1959, called on him.
Former President Kufuor (middle) with Mr Henry Abraham (left) and Ms Doreen Hammond, Features Editor, Daily Graphic
Test case
The former President said “one test case that shook me to the roots was the Yendi crisis in which the Ya Na was killed. It caused me sleepless nights”. He is not happy that in spite of his efforts at resolving the crisis, it remains unresolved to date.
The former President, who turns 80 on December 8, this year, however counts himself blessed and lucky for going through his constitutional term without being kicked out by military intervention.
Asked how he was spending retirement, he said “my home is now like a town hall where people from both home and abroad visit for different purposes, including advice. Some visits are unannounced and I am enjoying them.” He is also writing his memoir.
Prof. Abraham remains the only African Prize Fellow to date.
His achievement in becoming a Prize Fellow almost 60 years ago was celebrated by commissioning a portrait of him to hang in the college dining room alongside pictures of a select group of distinguished former fellows.
Former President Kufuor attended the ceremony in June.
Prof. Abraham also worked with President Kwame Nkrumah, advising him on the myriad of challenges of Ghana’s development after independence, and lectured at the University of Ghana, Legon.
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