body-container-line-1
06.07.2022 Rejoinder

Re: 9-Month salary Arrears Controversy Hits Dr. Kwabena Duffuor’s EIB Network

By Maxwell Okamafo Addo
Re: 9-Month salary Arrears Controversy Hits Dr. Kwabena Duffuors EIB Network
06.07.2022 LISTEN

It is either out of pure desperation or absolute ignorance that any group of persons would team themselves into the business of trying to blame Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, former finance minister for so-called ‘workers agitation’ at the EIB media network and linking that with his drive to empower NDC constituency executives throughout the country with the Ahoto business project.

Out of shame that those who benefited the most from the NDC like former President John Mahama has failed to practically give back to the party grassroots(but continue to ask for more from the party), his supporters are rooting against Kwabena Duffour’s business initiative for the NDC Grassroots.

This has led to all kinds of misplaced social media trolls by people clearly and openly showing support for John Mahama as the NDC 2024 Presidential candidate.

Unable to compare John Mahama on the bases of practical achievements as demonstrated by Duffour, and having failed to discount Duffuor’s monumental accomplishments in any objective measure, these people have resorted to mischievous media publications and ignorant rants in an attempt to massage their own egos and lick the boots of John Mahama.

My research shows that the EIB media network which is a network of over 10 radio and tv stations across the country is under the management of Bola Ray, a long time media manager poached from the Multimedia group. The EIB network started 7 years ago under the same management.

Dr. Kwabena Duffuor is a shareholder of the EIB media network.

Besides, Duffuor co-founded Kumawuman rural bank in 1982 and star assurance in 1985 as well as star life assurance. These companies have provided uncountable jobs for thousands of people over the years - and still do.

If people are alleging that the EIB media network which was begun only 7 years ago has financial management issues resulting in several months of arrears in salary of some workers, how does that contradict Dr. Kwabena Duffuor’s contributions towards the NDC’s growth and development?

Supporters of John Mahama such as Brigette Otoo of Metro TV who previously worked for EIB network are not only acting out of irrational sycophancy toward John Mahama when they make such social media posts, but their ingratitude blinds them from realising that, unlike Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, former President John Mahama has never created any private jobs through any private business development for anyone including Brigette Otoo who he now pays to follow him and blindly attack anyone who threatens his political ambitions.

The EIB media network is a private business under structured management. If the management has been unable to make profit to pay dividends to its shareholders in 7 years. If they also cannot generate enough funds to regularly pay its workers but rather depend on bailout funds from their shareholders (as I have been told) to survive, then perhaps, the shareholders should simply change management.

The agitating EIB workers, if indeed there are any, may just be trying to blackmail Dr. Kwabena Duffuor upon hearing about his social enterprise intervention for the NDC grassroots through the Ahoto project. And the John Mahama supporters have now chosen to feed on that like drowning swimmers. In any case, I cannot imagine why any group of EIB workers, who have been employed and their livelihoods sustained for 7 years, and if their salary has now delayed for 9 months and it was that easy to find jobs out there, why didn’t they just leave to find other jobs?

what is their motivation for continuing to go to work at EIB? They should tell us.

And by the way, how does the business failure or otherwise of EIB media Network even relate to the other interests and political projects of Dr. Duffuor as the John Mahama supporters are despicably trying to depict? Do these people really understand corporate governance at all?

Are these so-called new NDC members trying to say that the NDC grassroots and the party footsoldiers do not deserve the Ahotor business project donated to the party by Dr. Duffuor simply because EIB workers are clamoring to be paid?

Is that the upside-down logic these people are pushing down our throats? Of all the arguments to make against the Dr. Kwabena Duffuor initiated Ahotor project, this is the lamest of them all from some supporters of John Mahama who are following a leader with practically nothing to show in his private life, not even a single private house before he became President of Ghana, let alone a business.

Isn’t it remarkable that rather so-called NDC members are the ones who have suddenly started spreading negative propaganda about EIB media network, a so-called pro-NDC media, just because it is remotely associated with Dr. Duffuor is a lame attempt at scoring cheap internal political points?

Those trying to practically strengthen and empower the party grassroots such as the former finance minister should be commended rather than set them up for needless criticism and baseless allegations by people who know next to nothing about creating jobs.

The best advice I will offer to blind Mahama followers like Brigette Otoo is that they should push John Mahama to at least try to imitate Dr. Duffuor by also practically demonstrating his love for the NDC through similar sustainable initiatives for the party with some of the money he accumulated as President of Ghana rather than going around with a misplaced sense of entitlement that says he is the automatic leader whether or not he helps the party folks or the party itself.

body-container-line