Ghana’s Queenly First Lady……And “Kingly” Presidents

Throughout Africa, among the duties of a queen mother is to take care of vulnerable mothers and their children.

Ghana’s current First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, set up her Rebecca Foundation that constructed a $2.5 million Mother and Baby Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana. The unit is named the Nana Afia Serwaa Kobi Ampem II Center, after the late Queen Mother of the Asante kingdom.

The First Lady spearheaded a thoughtful and well-executed fundraising campaign that facilitated completion of the top-notch facility within a five- month period. It is hoped the well-resourced facility will stem the hitherto high rates of maternal and infant mortality at KATH.

Amandla doffs its hat to the gracious and graceful First Lady of Ghana and all those who helped in diverse ways to bring the project to fruition.

That’s a virtue of a queenly First Lady…unparalleled achievement within the first year of her reign!

Some African leaders think of the Presidency as a monarchy. The longest ruling leaders ascended the presidency by default, through armed struggle, or by the ballot.

Once they become presidents, they “adopt” Western democracy and call for elections as enshrined in their country’s constitution. The elections are expectedly rigged to keep them in power. When age and/or term limits lurk around the corner, these absolute power leaders will do everything possible to have their constitutions amended in order to stay in power.

Rather than debasing a working Western system of governance, maybe it’s high time these self-seeking African leaders went back to basics and turn their countries into kingdoms so they could become kings. That way, they would be at liberty to reign till the end of their lives!