Iddrisu Musah Superior, former Deputy CEO of the Forestry Commission, has labeled ex-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as “proud and arrogant” over his treatment of chiefs during official engagements.
Musah Superior condemned Akufo-Addo for allegedly instructing chiefs to stand and greet him, describing the behavior as disrespectful and unbecoming of a leader.
“How do you tell chiefs to stand up and greet you? That is sheer arrogance. If you have the audacity to do that, it means you’ve lost your values,” Musah Superior stated in an interview monitored by Newsnetg.com.
He argued that such actions showed a lack of respect for traditional authority. “We all come from traditional homes, and we must honor our chiefs. If a chief doesn’t stand to greet you, you simply greet them and move on. But forcing chiefs to rise, with bodyguards leading the way, was unacceptable and angered many people.”
Musah Superior’s remarks follow social media outrage over videos showing Akufo-Addo reprimanding chiefs who remained seated during his visits.
One such incident, captured in early 2024 at a funeral in the Ashanti Region, showed Akufo-Addo refusing to shake hands with a seated chief until he stood up.
The president reportedly gestured for the chief to rise, and though the chief complied, Akufo-Addo appeared unsatisfied.
A similar controversy arose in May 2024 when Akufo-Addo and his bodyguards were seen signaling for chiefs to stand before greeting him at another event.
While critics have labeled the actions disrespectful, the Ministry for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs defended Akufo-Addo, insisting he did nothing wrong.