I Once Wanted To Be A Film Director – Nana Addo

Reported by MZ_Pat

The flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic
Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,
says he wanted to be a film director.
The thought of studying and practising law
seemed an afterthought following an eye-
opening banter between a man who later
became one of his political mentors – the late
Victor Owusu – and another in open court.
Victor Owusu was Attorney General during the
Busia-led United Party (UP) administration.
In an interview with Joy FM’s Kojo Yankson on
his 72nd birthday which fell on Tuesday, he
recalled with nostalgic memory how he
relished the desire of being a film director.
“There was a moment in my life when I wanted
to be a film director; yes, yes,” he told his host
in an interview conducted at his private
residence located at Nima, Accra.
That, he said, is one of the reasons he has
such admiration for the movie industry in
neighbouring Nigeria. “They are developing a
home-grown film industry which is really
beginning to take off and have wings,” he
noted.
The celebrated politician and three times
standard bearer of the largest opposition party
in the country was, however, confident that
Ghana’s struggling movie industry would soon
get there.
.
“I am hoping that one day we too will be
getting on to it,” he assured himself.
Interestingly, however, Nana Akufo-Addo had a
change of mind from his dream of becoming a
film director to wanting to be a lawyer when he
witnessed the banter between Victor Owusu
and one lawyer, Joe Reindolf, in court.
The state was prosecuting a case against the
Legon Observer newspaper, represented by
Reindolf, for publishing an article thought to be
scandalous.
He watched proceedings with admiration as
the two slugged it out in the law court.
“Watching him in court was something
absolutely extraordinary – the sheer quality of
his advocacy – and I said to myself, ‘this is
what I want to do.’ It was a very big moment
of my life,” he recalled with nostalgia while
beaming with smiles.
This, according to him, marked a significant
turning point in his life since it spurred him on
to change his dream of becoming a filmmaker
to that of a lawyer and eventually a reputable
politician.
“Whatever it was that my father was doing
which brought this excitement was something
that I would like to do,” he underscored. Nana
thought of himself growing up in a family of
politicians, with his late father being a lawyer
and Chief Justice, and later becoming the
ceremonial President of the Republic.
He is therefore hopeful and confident of
winning the November 7, 2016 general election
to become the President of Ghana to turn
round the dwindling fortunes of the country as
witnessed under President Mahama and the
ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC)
administration.
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