Ghanaian actress and activist, Yvonne Nelson, has expressed regret over a photo she took with President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo following his victory in the 2016 elections.
Nelson who was the convener of the “Dumsor Must Stop” vigil in 2015 to protest the energy crisis and corruption revealed in her memoir that she had hoped that President Akufo-Addo would bring about positive change and tackle corruption.
However, she now believes that his administration’s actions have been a monumental disappointment for Ghana.
Yvonne Nelson recalled that in 2016, the change in power brought hope to Ghanaians, as President Akufo-Addo was perceived as “incorruptible” and a potential antidote to the pervasive issue of corruption.
“He was said to be incorruptible, and Ghanaians thought he was going to be the antidote to mass stealing at the highest level, which is euphemized as corruption. Unfortunately for Ghana and those who trusted in him, he has turned out to be a monumental disappointment whose government’s unbridled borrowing, corruption, and reckless spending plunged the nation into economic dumsor,” she shared in the memoir.
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She further shed light on the power crisis, known as “dumsor,” which had taken a toll on the economy, resulting in job losses and the collapse of small-scale enterprises that relied on electricity
“A year later, the opposition NPP and its candidate won the 2016 election. The power crisis and its effects were a major sin of the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC). Dumsor had resulted in job losses and dealt a deadly blow to the small-scale enterprises that depended on electricity but could not afford alternative sources of power,” she recounted.
According to Yvonne Nelson, she joined Ghanaians in heavily criticizing the National Democratic Congress (NDC), for its mismanagement and corruption during this period.
“Even though the NDC administration resolved the crises at a huge cost and through shady procurement deals, the victims of dumsor, corruption, and mismanagement could not forgive the party at the presidential and parliamentary polls,” she wrote.
As a public figure, she also lamented the photo-op she had with President Akufo-Addo when he won the election.
“The NPP, led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, won massively in both the presidential and parliamentary elections. Some friends and I went to congratulate the president-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo, with whom we took a photograph. It is a photograph I regret taking,” Yvonne laments.
She accused the government of unbridled borrowing, corruption, and reckless spending, which she believes have worsened Ghana’s economic situation
“He was said to be incorruptible, and Ghanaians thought he was going to be the antidote to mass stealing at the highest level, which is euphemized as corruption. Unfortunately for Ghana and those who trusted in him, he has turned out to be a monumental disappointment whose government’s unbridled borrowing, corruption, and reckless spending plunged the nation into economic dumsor,” she wrote.
The memoir unfolds with dramatic twists and turns, reminiscent of a spell-binding movie script. However, unlike a typical autobiography, Nelson fearlessly reveals her vulnerabilities, baring her soul to the audience.
