When President Obama came to Ghana, he made a striking comment in his address at Parliament. He said: “The 21st century country is a country that is ready to do things for herself and not look for assistance from the outside”. This is indeed a true statement because all the advanced countries worked for their own economy and Obama needed to discourage Ghana and Africa from looking for assistance from the outside world.
Indeed for a country to do well is mostly dependent on the dynamism of the leader. Times have changed so much that mass knowledge without wisdom and intelligence does not bring successful governance. The 21st century leader must be in tune with the changing times and seasons and alternate his knowledge to move with the times. Constant study is then demanded after academic excellence.
The 21st century leader must know what knowledge is applicable today and use it. The leader must however be successful in his private enterprise and that can give a level of assurance to the citizen that he could bring those same skills to bear in the high office of the state. What it then means is: the leader must have a true spirit of an entrepreneur, able to create and keep things moving in his private businesses.
One of the dignitaries in Ghana that has practically demonstrated a 21st leadership skill is Dr. Kofi Amoah, a Ghanaian entrepreneur and owner of multiple businesses. He said in a speech he delivered during a grand opening of his multi-facet entertainment centre in Ghana that: his desire is to create something that could be said to be better than international standards to position the Ghanaian Tourism Industry as a key player in the global entertainment industry. This is a world visionary idea, a statement that could only be made by competent people who have practical works to show.
Dr. Amoah has on several occasions also suggested very practical economic policies to the government of the day but the response has been very cold. This is a man that is also familiar with business trends around the globe and Ghanaians can believe his words. Ghana needs business investors like him who can build industries so the Ghanaian can exercise his skill in business to his direct benefit and for the growth of the economy. His business title name “progeny” is a spring of multiple businesses that is doing well in Ghana and business fields across the world.
This is the kind of leadership that was expressed by President Obama and he as an American President is a 21st century leader so he knew what a exactly he was talking about. I believe that Americans voted him as their President based on practical achievements in his private life and they knew that his promises therefore had strong basis. Americans voted him on the basis of these and not his black person. Ghanaians must grow in choosing their leaders based on very critical issues but not on just one as a promise to reduce petroleum prices and partisanship. That is the only way we can see that even though Dr. Kofi Amoah is not with a popular political party, he is in reality, a very good material for Presidency.
