Is 'President' Anyidoho's Communications empire gone?

Amidst the desolate landscape of total confusion in government, Ghanaians have been asking lately who is in charge of this country. Well, it might look as though finally some answer has come albeit late in the day and could be confirming the adage 'how are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war perished'! Can decline be detected early and avoided? Well many Ghanaians have been talking also of the fact that they could spot the subtle signs that the successful propaganda machinery of the then opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is actually on course to sputter in government as propaganda can't certainly sustain them in power. You need concrete evidence in government to sustain propaganda but unfortunately for the ruling NDC, it is things fall apart, the centre cannot hold. They speak and publish unprecedented achievements but like the famous MTN mobile network advert line goes 'na unprecedented achievements wo hen? The spin doctors keep blaming the opposition for everything that goes wrong in government including even glaring security failures.

The beginning of the end of impunity for Ghana's once all-powerful thug clothed as Director of Communication to President Mills of Ghana appeared so sudden. It was a normal Friday and the event was a FIFA world cup football qualifying game at Kumasi. The Black Stars of Ghana hosted the Crocodiles of Lesotho. The Stars were cruising comfortably by 4 - 0. Then suddenly the stadium floodlights went off and hell broke. Some soccer commentators called it a Black Friday, others said national day of disgrace. It took over one and a half hours to restore power and restart the match which ended 7-0. However, in between that interval, a lot of drama went on in government.

Love lost President Mills & Koku Anyidoho before

Koku Anyidoho issued a statement firing the Ashanti Regional Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). In fact this position does not actually exist in the lexicon of the ECG. The ECG rather has Kumasi East and Kumasi West ECG Directors. But as it was, Anyidoho claimed the ECG director had been sacked because the president was very upset with the incident.

As it turned out and later confirmed by a statement from the Information Ministry the president never took such a decision. So as the events subsequently unfolded, the Presidency was left with no option but to get rid of both Anyidoho and his Communications Directorate. A statement signed by the Chief of Staff to the Mills administration, Newman appears to have cleverly omitted the word 'scrapped'. It is pretty easy to read between the statement that the 'Director of Communications' at the Presidency and his outfit has been sidelined for those comments he made which he said was from the President. In the statement, the Presidency is seeking to direct the media to henceforth disregard any communications purporting to emanate from the President if it is not signed either by the secretary to the President or the Chief of Staff.

Read the full statement

PRESS RELEASE

The Office of the President wishes to state that all directives and decisions emanating from the Presidency including appointments, are communicated formally and signed by the Secretary to the President or in some instances by the Chief of Staff.

All other Government information is communicated through the Ministry of Information by Press Release or other means and in some cases where appropriate by the relevant sector Ministries, under the direction of the Minister-in-charge.

The Office of the President wishes the Media and General Public to be guided by these procedures and channels for communicating Government information.

Signed J. H.M. NEWMAN [CHIEF OF STAFF] 

The question though still remains 'who is in charge in Ghana: President Mills or 'President' Koku Anyidoho?

Damirifa due President Koku Anyidoho, I have rotten teeth but still keeping my integrity intact! 

All things shall pass indeed!!!