Kwaku Azar urges journalists to avoid conflict of interest appointments
Minority demands probe into Christmas tree saga
A US-based Ghanaian Lawyer, Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, a.k.a Kwaku Azar, has subtly criticized the host of Good Evening Ghana, Paul Adom Otchere over his involvement in the procurement of Christmas trees to decorate the Kotoka International Airport in the festive season last year as well the use of his program to absorb himself from blame.
Paul Adom Otchere on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 edition of his show sought to come clean on the role he played in the Christmas tree brouhaha.
In his popular “touch screen analysis” of the situation, he explained why an invoice to the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL), bears his name as the Board Chairman and not the management of the Airport.
“I requested that I needed to see the invoices that the potential suppliers are sending to the company so that, we can intervene by bringing down the cost because if we don’t see the invoice, all we know is that the company will pay the money [and] we [as Board] will not be able to intervene,” he explained.
He added that, as Board, their intervention was key, “so that there would be a prudent use of the company’s resources.”
“This is just an invoice, we didn’t use it, we didn’t buy it but we worked with Favors and Arts but we didn’t buy their Christmas tree at GH¢84,000,” he stressed.
Paul Adom Otchere also said the cost of procuring last year’s Christmas décor was far cheaper compared to 2016 under the John Dramani Mahama led administration.
“In 2016, the spending on Christmas tree inspirations was GH¢120,000, and this was at just one terminal. In 2021, GH¢128,366 is the total amount of money that was spent on two terminals; terminal 2 and terminal 3,” he said on Good Evening Ghana.
But reacting to the development on his social media timeline, Professor Kwaku Azar expressed shock at the choice to use his own platform in trying to exonerate himself from the saga.
He also lamented the practice where media practitioners accept government appointments. Professor Kwaku Azar noted that such appointments cloud the judgment of the media personality.
“It is hard for me to imagine Wolf Blitzer using the CNN platform to explain the procurement decisions of a federal agency of which he was a Board member. Globally, journalists accept the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest, real or perceived, and ensure that they refrain from engaging in other outside activities that may compromise their integrity or impartiality, or may damage their credibility.
"GOGO will prioritize media independence and will NOT allow any media person to sit on the Board of a State-Owned Enterprise, hold any positions of emolument in government, or otherwise be entangled with the government,” he wrote on his Facebook timeline.
Meanwhile, the Minority in parliament has served notice of filing an urgent demand that the transport Minister responds to how the GACL procured the Christmas tree inspirations.
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