As a leader, you should not expose such weaknesses in public by crying just to apologise – Benjamin Nsiah slams Julius Debrah

Energy Analyst and Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CEMSE) Benjamin Nsiah has also raised concerns about what he describes as inconsistency in the behaviour of public officials, following the controversy surrounding comments made by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, Dr Mary Awusi.

His comments come after the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, apologised on her behalf over remarks directed at the Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye.

Speaking to Moro Awudu on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana show, the Executive Director expressed dissatisfaction with the apology rendered.

Mr Nsiah said the emotional tone of the apology, particularly the Chief of Staff’s visible emotion, raised questions about its clarity and authority.

“He started by saying that it was a slip, not intentional. So I don’t see the need for the crying. As a leader, you should not expose such weaknesses in public,” he said.

He went further to question whether the response reflected a coherent government position.

“The cry, is it a position of government or his personal apology? We need further information from government,” he said. “A statement from the presidency would have cleared the ambiguity.”

Turning his attention to Dr Awusi’s conduct, Mr Nsiah argued that officials in such positions should exercise restraint in public discourse.

“If you are a CEO of Free Zones, sometimes you don’t even have to make time for controversies,” he said. “Your role is to focus on strategy, innovation and the work of the Authority, not these public tantrums.”

He also linked the incident to broader concerns about discipline and conduct among public appointees.

“When I hear from some of these appointees, I begin to think some of them are suffering from personality disorders. Let me change it to mood swings, because at a point they are like this, and at another point they are like that,” he said.

Mr Nsiah suggested that apologies alone are not enough to deter misconduct in public office.

“Apology will not change the mindset of some of these people. When you begin to penalise them, it sends a stronger message,” he said. “That will serve as a deterrent more than what we saw with the crying and the apology.”

He also defended the comments made by the Church of Pentecost leader, saying they reflected a widely known national concern.

“The pastor said nothing wrong. What he said is what all of us have been complaining about, including government,” he said, referring to issues of illegal mining and water pollution.