Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, Senior Advisor to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), has opposed proposals seeking to reduce Ghana’s presidential age requirement from 40 to 30 years.
Speaking in an interview with Bernard Avle on The Point of View on Channel One TV on Wednesday, January 7, Dr. Thompson emphasized that leadership at the highest level requires maturity beyond intelligence, arguing that a 30-year-old may not be adequately prepared for the demands of the presidency.
“No, it doesn’t sound too appealing with the 30 years. It’s one thing to be smart; you also need emotional intelligence. Not that age necessarily brings emotional intelligence. At that point, you are between a man and a boy, not an old man. There’s a process of maturity in leadership,” he said.
While acknowledging that some countries allow younger individuals to assume top leadership roles, Dr. Thompson cautioned that Ghana’s political environment presents unique challenges.
“It depends on the political system. In New Zealand and other countries, they usually start at the bottom and by the time they are in their mid-20s, they are well positioned to lead their parties and, by extension, the countries. We have a system that can easily blend itself to populism; you end up with the wrong person. I disagree,” he added.
He maintained that lowering the age threshold without considering the specific dynamics of Ghana’s political system could pose risks to effective governance.
