Icheoku have keenly followed the storm generated by the "gifts" of six cars and two houses allegedly given to John Agyekum Kufour, the former president of Ghana and concludes that the raging whirlwind is uncalled for. Our reason for taking this position, despite our established aversion to untoward gratifications, is that those enumerated gifts were quite "a token" considering the sit-tight dispositions of African leaders with the attendant legendary mass looting of the treasury! Both of these vices, your respectable John Kufour shunned. The only rational approach to understanding the cursed African leader's unwillingness to ever cede power is to find out why they so clutch to power till their last breath? Icheoku concludes, it is because of the "security of the stomach" and self-preservation of a perceived status, period! So for the one of a kind among the many African leaders, John Kufour, what is the worth of these gifts when juxtaposed to the alternative? Therefore a gift of about $400,000.00, two houses and six cars to a former Africa leader who could have chosen to sit tight and milk Ghana until her well runs dry is not too much? Ghanaians should always remember that former President John Kufour gracefully stepped down for the incumbent to step in without preconditions? 
Icheoku says the gift is trifle and should be supported by all men and women of good will in Ghana. Former President John Kufour deserves all that could be given to him for displaying such an uncanny valour and statesmanship of a free power-transfer, which is very uncommon with many African leaders. Such a gesture will also encourage future leadership to yield power, fully aware that they will be properly taken care of by the incoming government; and by extension it might be a role-model for other African countries to institute welfare packages for their outgoing leadership. This might also reduce the penchant and disposition of African leaders to provide for themselves while still in power and hence abate corruption. Icheoku's only reservation with the gifts is that the five cars would have been spread over a period of time, like one car every three years till the end of his natural life. Commonly, pensions are paid all over the world to public servants in appreciation for their selfless service; except in Nigeria where such public servants pay themselves upfront, while still in office, with massive looting of the public treasury. The people of Ghana can afford to buy six cars and build or buy two houses for their former honorable president, John Kufour. Peradventure, were John Kufour as corrupt as Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo he would not need these gifts, as he would have built several mansions and even bought himself a private jet while still in office; but instead he left office a gentleman. Ghanaians, Icheoku says the two houses, one in a choice area of your capital city Accra and another in his country-home are very well-deserved gifts for the decent John Kufour, case closed! It is rather ridiculous for some Ghanaians to be "shocked" at this "pittance", considering the priceless pride John Kufour brought to Ghana by conducting a free and fair election that even saw the opposition attain the presidency. He could have perpetuated himself in power, rigged the election or better still clamped every dissenter into detention or sent state assassins after them to take care of business. He however decided otherwise, insisting that Ghana was greater than anyone man including himself and voluntarily relinquished power. If Ghanaians are in doubt of what an average African-leader monster is capable of unleashing on his people, they should ask Bola Ige and his co-victims of the ravenous machinations of Nigeria's megalomaniac, Olusegun Obasanjo? Better still, a look at Zimbabwe will suffice!
Icheoku says the gift is trifle and should be supported by all men and women of good will in Ghana. Former President John Kufour deserves all that could be given to him for displaying such an uncanny valour and statesmanship of a free power-transfer, which is very uncommon with many African leaders. Such a gesture will also encourage future leadership to yield power, fully aware that they will be properly taken care of by the incoming government; and by extension it might be a role-model for other African countries to institute welfare packages for their outgoing leadership. This might also reduce the penchant and disposition of African leaders to provide for themselves while still in power and hence abate corruption. Icheoku's only reservation with the gifts is that the five cars would have been spread over a period of time, like one car every three years till the end of his natural life. Commonly, pensions are paid all over the world to public servants in appreciation for their selfless service; except in Nigeria where such public servants pay themselves upfront, while still in office, with massive looting of the public treasury. The people of Ghana can afford to buy six cars and build or buy two houses for their former honorable president, John Kufour. Peradventure, were John Kufour as corrupt as Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo he would not need these gifts, as he would have built several mansions and even bought himself a private jet while still in office; but instead he left office a gentleman. Ghanaians, Icheoku says the two houses, one in a choice area of your capital city Accra and another in his country-home are very well-deserved gifts for the decent John Kufour, case closed! It is rather ridiculous for some Ghanaians to be "shocked" at this "pittance", considering the priceless pride John Kufour brought to Ghana by conducting a free and fair election that even saw the opposition attain the presidency. He could have perpetuated himself in power, rigged the election or better still clamped every dissenter into detention or sent state assassins after them to take care of business. He however decided otherwise, insisting that Ghana was greater than anyone man including himself and voluntarily relinquished power. If Ghanaians are in doubt of what an average African-leader monster is capable of unleashing on his people, they should ask Bola Ige and his co-victims of the ravenous machinations of Nigeria's megalomaniac, Olusegun Obasanjo? Better still, a look at Zimbabwe will suffice!
Icheoku says, there is nothing "embarrassing" about this well deserved and well earned retirement-package to honor a patriotic John Kufour or would Ghanaians have preferred that John Kufour had looted their treasury himself before leaving office? If, according to one Ghanaian commentator, they have "water problems, light problems, job problems, road problems etc" Icheoku says, find out from Nigerians how they have lived a life of abject want of practically everything, since their independence, despite their oil wealth?
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