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Controversy over who manages government information
By Abdul Salam Sule, Ghanadot
Accra, March 23, 2009
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During the appointments of Ministers and other public officials
by the president, Prof John Evans Atta Mills, the number of
people paraded to manage government information gave the
impression that information would be handled well at the
presidency.
Thus Mr Mahama Ayariga was appointed as the
government spokesperson and press secretary and Koku Anyidoho
was appointed as the Communication Director at the presidency.
Apart from the Information Minister who is in the person of Mrs
Zita Okaikwei, two deputy ministers have also been appointed to
assist the Minister.
Unfortunately, in the light of the above, there is a confusion as
to who is in charge of managing information at the presidency. Whether it is Kwaku Anyidoho, Mahama Ayariga or Zita Okaikwei,
the general public is yet to find out.
On Tuesday, March 17, this year, the president had a meeting
with members of the Ghana Journalists Association and he
expressed concern over what he described as lawlessness being
perpetuated by some citizens of the land.
The speech delivered
by the president was in a proverbial form as no name was mention
as to who the person or group propagating the lawlessness in the
country was.
The presidential spokesperson, Mr Mahama Ayariga was interviewed
by the media to give details of the president's speech and to
specify the group or person he referred to in his speech.
Mr Ayariga explained that,
the president speech was not directed to any group and his
(president) intention was to address the state of insecurity
that was going on in some parts of the country.
But Mr Koko
Anyidoho, the Director of Communication at the presidency gave
contradicting statement as to who the president's speech
referred to.
According to him, the president's speech was directed
to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and that their conduct in
opposition gave a cause for worry.
With two contradicting statement given by the information
handlers at the presidency, it is still not clear as to who is
feeding the public with right information on the issue.
Also came the issue of the office being occupied by former
president Kuffour. The chairman of the government transition
team, Mr P.V Obeng said, ex-president Kuffour informed president
Mills about his intentions to occupy that office and that permission
was granted.
Shortly after the statement by Mr P.V Obeng, the
presidential spokesperson, Mr Mahama Ayariga, issued a press
release which contradicted the explanation given by P.V Obeng.
According
to the press statement by Mr Ayariga, the former president
failed to seek permission from president Mills before occupying
the office.
Speaking on the controversy at the presidency however, Mr
Ayariga denied there was controversy at the office of the
president over who should handle government information.
Meanwhile, Dr Tony Aidoo, a leading member of the ruling NDC has
confirmed the story. On a radio programme dubbed Alhaji and
Alhaji on Radio Gold, the outspoken member of the ruling NDC
said there was confusion at the presidency over who should
manage government information and even top party officials
hardly get access to government information from the castle.
"One does not know whether to go to Anidoho, Ayariga or Zita
Okaikwei", he revealed.
He said it was similar problem that the party encountered in the
year 2000 which resulted in their defeat and the same problem is
rearing up again.
He has therefore called on the president to urgently address the
issue before it creates political problem for the party.
Ghanadot
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