Akolgo-Tia should perform or give way

In some way, there is an explanation. The party in government prefers to leave information dissemination in the hands of men of propaganda, human beings whose official beef is to tell lies and mislead the people, in the hope that the administration and the party in government would look good.

In this age, when effective communication underscores information dissemination, the National Democratic Congress, as a political party and party in government, has come to put its trust in propaganda secretaries, as opposed to communication experts.

Even then, it is strange that the Minister of Information, John Akolgo-Tia, a journalist by profession, has remained anonymous ever since he was appointed to lead the government's information team. In place of the minister, his two deputies – Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa and Mohammed Baba Jamal – have occupied the turf.

It is a strange concept that when the head of state speaks, it is usually Deputy Minister Okudzeto-Ablakwa who explains the nuances to the good people of Ghana. The dismissal of Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, orchestrated by Minister of Health Joseph Yieleh Chireh, and which left rotten egg on the faces of leading members of this administration, forcing the President to take an action that has left many equally baffled, was communicated in such a manner that it left the head of state looking really bad.

When the President met doctors of the Cardiothoracic Centre at the Castle to mend the hearts of the surgeons and persuade them to return to work, the statement from the Presidency was issued by Deputy Minister of Information Okudzeto-Ablakwa.

The Chronicle is unable to appreciate the role of the substantive Information Minister, Mr. John Akolgo-Tia, in this administration. We learn that the Honourable Minister is pursuing a course at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), which is to help broaden the outlook of the minister.

All the same, we fail to appreciate the rationale behind the idea of leaving sensitive issues to be handled by his two deputies. Mr. Akolgo-Tia is definitely, not the first state official to undertake a course at GIMPA.  He would not be the last. As a matter of fact, GIMPA was set up to train public administrators.

In most cases, officials undertaking courses at GIMPA combine their studies with their normal duties at the office. That is why we find the minister's silence on major issues, baffling. The state of Ghana funds the lifestyle of the minister so that he could bring his rich knowledge and experience to bear on state affairs.

If Mr. Akolgo-Tia finds himself unable to undertake the duties for which he was vetted by Parliament, he should offer his resignation for another person to take up the mantle. The continuous absence of the minister, a professional journalist, is impacting negatively on information packaging and dissemination in the Atta Mills' administration.

It is not the best form of observing protocol that the President communicates to the good people of Ghana through a Deputy Minister. Mr. Akolgo-Tia should assume his proper role, or give way to someone who would not abandon his post.