Ebo Quansah, a seasoned journalist and the general manager of The Chronicle, has advised President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo to demand action from his appointees because they are too at ease and inattentive to the public.
He stated that one of the explanations offered by the late former President Jerry Rawlings for orchestrating a coup to overthrow a legally established government, was that things had gone wrong and the administration was unresponsive to the citizens of Ghana.
Ebo Quansah claimed the story brought back memories of the past, in response to how his publication broke the contentious subject of Cecilia Dapaah’s stolen millions. He recalled a similar incident in which two policemen were charged with robbing the residence of Dr. Yao Obed Asamoah, the chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which was in power at the time.
Cecilia Dapaah’s case was intriguing in many respects, according to Mr. Quansah, and needed to be brought to the President’s notice, so that he would be aware “that all may not be well with his ministers.”
Also, Ebo Quansah questioned whether Cecilia Dapaah’s residence was a bank in order for her to keep so much cash there.
He claimed that President Akufo-Addo’s appointments have not undergone many changes and that it is fortunate that this story has come to light in order for him to reflect and determine whether or not it is time for changes, “because when people remain at a particular place for quite a time, they become too comfortable and tend not to follow the rules and regulations of this country.”
He added, “the President needed to know, reflect and put his foot down because things are not what they should be.”
President Should Have Toned Down In Praise
In addition, Ebo Quansah said that given that Cecilia Dapaah was leaving the administration on a less favorable note, President Akufo-Addo could have better handled the resignation by being less effusive in his admiration of her contributions.
“Praising her for all that she has done and that sort of thing, I think the praise should have been mellowed a bit because of the circumstances under which she resigned.”
Ebo Quansah
Moreover, Ebo Quansah averred that he had absolutely no inhibitions about releasing the news, given that it was a court case and available for publication on all other media channels.
He said that there was no desire to conceal anything, especially when it was of public interest, considering the amount of money at stake and the fact that the Minister herself took the matter to court.
The general manager of The Chronicle asserted that although some of the President’s ministers are his friends and share the same political ideology as liberal democrats, he felt that some of them are not very responsive to issues. Even though he claimed to have been in exile with some of them during Jerry Rawlings’ revolution days.
“Sometimes it baffles me that I, sitting here and they being my friends, sometimes when I call them, most of them won’t respond. And if an editor calls a minister and he won’t respond, how responsive will he or she be to the ordinary people of Ghana?
“So, these issues need to come out for they themselves, the ministers, to re-examine the way they are conducting affairs of state and for everybody to know what is happening and stop behaving as if they are above the ordinary Ghanaian.”
Ebo Quansah
He argued that because there is no pressure on the ministers and they are aware that the President will not change them no matter what, they have grown too accustomed to their positions.
In connection with ongoing inquiries into money taken from the residence of Cecilia Dapaah, a former Sanitation Minister, two additional suspects have been detained. When the case was called on Wednesday, August 2, police prosecutor DSP Emmanuel Nyamekye confirmed this in court.
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