5 May 2008
Lagos — Africans now enjoy democracy as they move away from the era of dictatorship, President John Kufuor of Ghana has said.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum on Africa in Accra that this was because "we are into an era where Africans now enjoy more elected leaders than dictators."
According to him, Africa is moving away from the times when leaders refused to leave the seat when their time is up. He noted that dictatorship was traceable to the early part of the post-independence era which was dominated by strong men and dictators. Kufuor said he was an African leader who happened to lead a country that was ready to embrace and sustain democracy. "It is just that Ghana, which was the first country to gain independence, I believe, has gone full circle and now has decided to go democratic and constitutional," he said.
"In the past 14, 15 years, Ghana has come under the Fourth Republican Constitution which gives at most two terms to the president. "First time, four years; if you are lucky, the people will give you a second term through the ballot box at the end of which they say 'Thank you' and push you aside," the President said. Emphasising his desire to retire peacefully, Kufuor said: "I have served the first term and have been blessed with the second and my time is up. 'Why should I desire to violate the Constitution that is working so well for the people of Ghana? So I do not want to cause any rumpus or disruptions. "The Constitution is the supreme law and we talk of the rule of law. So I am going and I hope it will continue to be like this. If there should be any difference, it should be a legitimate amendment and the Constitution prescribes a way for amending it," he said
Kufuor expressed the hope that the rule of law would continue to be entrenched in Ghana and other African countries. Ghana, Nigeria dialogue on trade issues
He said Ghanaian and Nigerian authorities were holding discussions aimed at easing trade barriers between them.
Recently, the Ghanaian authorities introduced legislation requiring foreign investors to comply with certain conditions to qualify for legitimate business transactions. These include obtaining work permits and licences, as well as a minimum level of investment commitment of several thousands of dollars.
"If we take the Nigerian traders here complaining that they are being made to take licences or something, it is the law that has been applied here," the Ghanaian President said.
His words: "That law provides that foreigners trading must come in with a level of investment to be able to trade. If they fall below that level, then the law says 'No' to them.
"Yes, I acknowledge that we are into the era of ECOWAS and, ideally West Africans should be able to go anywhere, settle and trade without any requirements. "Unfortunately ECOWAS has not yet come up enough to the degree that will permit this.
"For instance, people talk of reciprocity. Ghanaian exporters complain that when they bring their goods to Lagos, the Customs people do not allow them.
"So naturally, when they see their brothers from Nigeria here also importing and operating here freely, they complain: 'but when we go, they don't allow us, so why should we allow them here?'
"This is what I'm talking about with the government of Nigeria, so as to ease the bottlenecks for our people to be able to enjoy free trade among themselves."
Nigeria and Ghana have a long history of commercial and cultural links.
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