President Akufo-Addo says he is not in anyway averse to criticism.
Rather, he takes it in good faith since it helps make informed decisions.
He has therefore noted that persons who criticise him and his government only bring different perspectives to the decisions, actions and inactions of his administration which in the long run, has helped to shape the decisions of government.
This was when he addressed a delegation from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service (OHCS) who called on him at the Jubilee House Monday evening to introduce the newly elected Ghana President of the International Organisation Development Association (IODA), Professor Noble Kumawu, to the President.
As leader of the country, he said he sees himself as the main object of criticisms which according to him, helps to reflect on his work as President.
“I am the main object of criticism in Ghana and it helps me because it brings different perspectives to me and it allows me to reflect on the work that I am doing”, was how he put it, whilst insisting that “nevertheless, criticisms are an important part of the enhancement of everyone job.”
Even though he admitted that “there are a lot of criticism about the Public Service, and the Civil Service in Ghana” the President said “I tend not to join in the criticism because I know the difficult work that you do and the difficult circumstances in which that work has to be carried out.”
He thus commended the country’s Civil and Public Service workers for the yeomans work they continue to do for mother Ghana.
On his part, Head of the OHCS, Nana Kwasi Agyekum Dwamena said it was a great privilege for the IODA to have selected a Ghanaian to be its global head.
This is a body that he said is on all the continents of the world. It currently active in 50 countries including the US, UK, Netherlands, Canada and a host of other countries and for that reason a plus to Ghana.
The new IODA leader, Professor Noble Kumawu expressed appreciation to the President for the privilege to meet him and the delegation.
According to Professor Kumawu, the OD institute which is accredited and affiliated to the University of Cape Coast (UCC), started as a partnership in 2003 with UCC.
He indicated that the institute considers the selection of a Ghanaian to head the international association, as such a goodness that they certainly had to share with the first gentleman of the land.
IODA
IODA is an international network of organisation development (OD) professionals, consultants, practitioners, academics, students and social scientists.
They are a non-profit association with members from over 50 countries who are initiating and supporting organizational and societal change processes.
It is a community as well as a membership platform for OD professionals to connect, share and exchange ideas.
Using its rich, diverse network of OD practitioners, students and change agents, the IODA connects people globally.
They believe in creating the space for true wholeness – connecting across differences – through differentiation and celebrating unique traditions and divergent worldviews.
IODA is simultaneously global and local, drawing people out of their worlds to connect and inviting the world to settle in for a deep appreciation of what OD looks like on the ground in each location.
The body provides support to practitioners across cultures and national boundaries and encourages cross-fertilization of methods, theories and schools of thought as well as modeling OD values based on global ideologies and inclusive perspectives.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent