Former President John Agyekum Kufuor said that the four decades between his first foray into politics in his twenties and his inauguration at 62 were a crucible that forged his approach to governance.
In an interview on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, October 28, Kufuor recounted how the 1972 military coup abruptly halted his early career, leading to a 15‑month imprisonment at Ussher Fort Prison alongside other parliamentarians and ministers of the Second Republic.
He said the years of military rule, economic paralysis and institutional decay did not crush his ambition but deepened his understanding of leadership and national governance.
“Things really were not working,” Kufuor noted, describing a culture of silence that stifled political discourse and left citizens fearful and disillusioned.
Even after the 1992 Constitution restored constitutional rule, he said, underlying structural and economic vulnerabilities remained, leaving many disheartened after decades of hardship.
When he finally won the 2000 election, Kufuor took the oath in January 2001 with a clear resolve to offer Ghanaians a tangible alternative to decades of misrule.
“I went into politics in my 20s. I became president age 62,” he reflected. “I was determined to lead a government that would give our nation a practical experience of what could be other than what the nation had become used to for about 40 years.”
His comments highlight how personal adversity and political patience paved the way for the socio‑economic reforms that defined his tenure as President of the Fourth Republic.
