Former President John Dramani Mahama has chided President Nana Akufo-Addo over his advice to African Heads of State to stop begging the Western world for financial support.
President Nana Akufo-Addo in his remarks during the opening of the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington DC on Tuesday urged African countries to stop “begging” from the West in order to earn global respect and change poor perceptions about the continent.
“If we stop being beggars and spend African money inside the continent, Africa will not need to ask for respect from anyone, we will get the respect we deserve. If we make it prosperous as it should be, respect will follow.”
But in an address to delegates at the Accra Sports Stadium during the NDC’s national delegates congress, the former President said Akufo-Addo’s comment was embarrassing especially at a time he has spent the last few weeks begging the International Monetary Fund for help.
“We have a President who enjoys spouting the rhetorics of self-respect and restraint from begging western nations for support, yet he has spent the last several weeks on the telephone with western leaders asking them to beg the IMF to grant Ghana the recently announced staff-level agreement for an extended credit facility.
“Our dear nation has never been so put to shame and come close to being a beggar nation as we are today,” Mr Mahama said.
Over 9,000 delegates from across the country have converged at the Accra Sports Stadium to elect new national executives ahead of the 2024 general elections.
