A-Plus’ Leaked Tape – 3 Key Issues Worth Paying Attention To

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By Ohenenana Obonti Krow

ACP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo- Danquah

Apart from the political debates and pressure the leaked A-Plus’ tape has generated, there are other key governance issues captured on the tape worth paying attention to. Mr Kwame Asare Obeng popularly called A-Plus, told ACP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo- Danquah that the President Nana Akufo-Addo easily succumb to pressure mounted on him from hawks in his administration.

[ads1]He stated emphatically that the President is always forced to change decisions he takes due to pressure some powerful hands exert on him. This statement by A-plus, goes to buttress a similar statement which was made in 2008 prior to the election by Mr Malik Yakubu who was one of Nana’s closest allies in the Kufour administration. Mr Yakubu’s voice was captured on the famous Atta Akyea tape expressing same sentiment. The former interior minister said, Nana’s handicap is his inability to control his environment and went on further to complain bitterly about how Nana had allowed his Dr Apraku and Nana’s driver to act spending officers without accounting to any authority.

It is important we critically scrutinize that statement the young man made on the leaked tape. Indecisiveness can be particularly damaging depending on where the leader’s position is in the overall ( governance) organizational chart and his operational environment. In his our [Ghana], we need to pay serious attention to the matter because of our system. The constitution confers enormous power on the President and has the power and space to take decisions anytime he deems appropriate. Many decisions require complex reasoning and mental firmness and if our President continue act indecisively as told us by his own friend A-plus, he will reduce complexity to a simpler lie. A great leader must always be stronger than the forces upon him. Happenings in this administration support A- plus’ assertion. It seems the President cautiously avoid stepping on toes, tend to avoid all responsibilities and fail to guide the his team. Working for an uncertain indecisive leader who can have a change of mind at any given point of time is definitely a frustrating challenge. A-Plus, one of the President’s closest allies, cannot contain the President’s indecisiveness any longer hence the outburst. We all heard the assurance the sitting President gave President Mahama about his residence after the transition and how he allowed some fanatics in his party to manipulate him to change a decision he had firmly made. How he reacted to activities of the vigilante groups is another practical example. The President was forced to defend some unpopular decisions including the BOST saga, and recently the Uranium saga. Choosing right decisions is hard enough, but internal pressures compromises his integrity at every turn. It seems the hawks in the administration are stronger than the President. Insiders are doing everything possible to protect the administration by zipping their mouths. How and why the tape went out is another issue we must look at going forward.

2) The second issue on the tape we must pay attention to and evaluate is the emphatic statement by the Madam Tiwaa that “the President CANNOT achieve his plans. That was (is) an emphatic statement coming from someone who is technically close to the administration. We must ask ourselves why that empathic statement. What did she discover during her investigation to have placed her in that cynic mood. It is no secret that Maame Tiwaa is one of the allies of the ruling party in the police administration and the conversation between her and A-plus confirms that assertion. Why has she lost confidence in the administration.

3) The last point was her expression of desire to meet the sitting President and the expression of frustration. She appeared seriously dejected and shattered because of happenings in the administration. Why the desire to meet the President one on one. Is she going to jump the command chain?

What the President’s admirers who fell for his incorruptible tag must know is that, a corrupt politician isn’t only someone who steals money of the people. A corrupt leader could also be someone who corrupts his promises, duties, responsibilities, and trust that the public has giving him. The ordeal we going through is enough a lesson. Once again , politicians will come to us like job applicants wanting to be hired.