Of the many things that the president and his vice, share in common, including lying, their appreciation of our culture and tradition in the way they dress set them apart.
Both come from a background, where failure to wear suit is considered as being naked. But having assume the position of the first and second gentlemen of the land, it is assumed that, they will practice what they preach at all times.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as a lawyer has lived a life of wearing suit. In fact at some point in one’s life, having worn a particular dress over a period, nothing looks nice on you again. As a lawyer, of many years, who made his living in the confines of our courts, suit or jacket comes to him naturally.
I have followed the political life of the president, since the mid 90s, when I became politically aware, and I can say without a shred of doubt that, president Akufo-Addo, hardly wears ay dress, talk less African print.
But since he assumed the office of president, he has developed the penchant for African print. That has become his trade mark now and it fits him well, as if he is wearing his usual suit.
The same cannot be said of the Vice-president, who is clothed by the tax payer. Most of the tax payers, deal in the local wax. They make their living through either manufacturing or sewing. The least any government can do is encourage the wearing of the local wax print to stimulate growth in that sector.
If the second gentleman of the land, shies away from wearing local print, how can he possibly, ask his subordinates and by extension Ghanaians to also patronize it?
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyeremanten, as far as my mind can travel, I cannot recollect him wearing any dress apart from the locally manufactured wax print.
The Nigerians have done this and have succeeded, as their leaders only wear what they refer to as ‘batakari’. It looks good on them and it reflects their culture, as well as creates jobs for their people desirous of entering into that market.
Ghanaian leaders behave as though, we are the only nation colonized by the United Kingdom. Anytime our leaders wear those suits, they are creating jobs and putting money in the pockets of the citizens, where those jackets are produced.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, as a Muslim, should have become an unofficial ambassador for ‘Batakari’, but no, he will prefer to also wear suit, which makes him look like a ‘koliko’.
I am praying for a day, when we will have a president, who will insist that, every member of his government, should wear African print at every state function. If our leaders, do not encourage the consumption of made in Ghana goods, they will suffer in the long run.
The price of petroleum product, have consistently been going up, not because of increases in the world market price, but because of the depreciating of the local currency. The cedi, is unable to hold its own against its major trading currencies, because chiefly among the factors are, because virtually everything we consume in this country is imported.
We will continue to suffer and every industrialization jargons that our leaders, throws about, will remain what they are words, when they themselves are not ready to lead by example.
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, who also made his career in banking like Dr.Bawumia, is always spotted in his trademark white ‘batakari’.
They are a lot of examples one can relate to in the current administration. The only exception is the vice-president, who is behaving as though, he only got the opportunity to wear suit, when he became the vice president.
He is the one too who is talking big about growing the economy. He is the economic whiz kid, we have never seen before and yet, he is not aware of the simple basic economic fact that, his unbridled penchant for suit is taking money out of this economy.
No country in the world rewards it leaders for wearing suits or jackets, but the leaders reward its citizens by putting money in their pocket when they wear cloth produced in that country.
Our leaders always waste the tax payers’ money chasing after phantom investors. If only they can identify, what competitive advantage we have and harness it, this country will be a paradise on earth for our people.
We have hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians living outside this country. The vice-president and the government, if they could take a cue from the president and dress like him, could encourage Ghanaians living abroad to also see the need to wear made in Ghana fabric. Imagine the amount of money the country could make.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the suits are too much, this life of vanity, is not inuring to the benefit of ordinary Ghanaians, who through his numerous lectures, he made them to understand that, he cares about them.
He does not love suit more than the president, in fact he started wearing suit, before Dr. Bawumia, could ever dream of one, so he should spare us and help grow this economy by helping to patronize made in Ghana fabric.
Ironically, Nana Akufo-Addo, adopted this style of dressing after he became the president, it is not too late for Dr. Bawumia
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