A member of the government�s communication team, Mr Stan Dogbe has criticized comments by the Pro-Vice chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Kwesi Yankah, that there were too many contradictions and inconsistencies in government communication.
He challenged Prof Yankah to point out the contradictions or forever hold his peace.
�My comment this morning has been that the person who made that comment, clearly was engaging in exaggerated analysis and not any analysis that is based on any empirical facts because he said today on Joy FM that every single day, there are contradictions in government policy communication. I challenge the host of that programme, (Super Morning Show) to ask him to name today�s contradiction, name Wednesday�s, Tuesday�s, Monday�s contradiction so that we can put his discussions into perspective. Not everybody who teaches English or for that matter can speak English is a communications person!� he emphasized.
Prof Yankah, delivering a lecture organized by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra on Wednesday urged the government to consider unifying its communication apparatus to curtail the rampant disorganized information flow on government policies and programme.
Government�s official communication apparatuses are the three ministers of Information, the Director of Communication in the office of the President, the Spokesperson of the Vice President as well as all the Public Relations units of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
And Prof. Yankah believes this �situation conveys the impression of a rather wobbly executive apparatus which needs parallel structures for reinforcement or double assurance.�
He questioned the rationale for the appointment of a spokesperson for the Vice-President arguing the presidency is one office and should not under normal circumstance have different spokespersons for the president and the Vice-President.
�The current comedy of errors, retraction and glitches arising out of a proposed World Bank loan is the expected outcome and the earlier a single voice spoke for the entire presidency, the better,� he stressed.
"The two belong virtually to the same office. You need a presidential spokesperson, Period!... There is a competition for attention and that is very wrong. I think the direction in which we are heading is ridiculous," Prof Yankah asserted.
But Mr Stan Dogbe said it was not for Prof Yankah to determine for government how to run its communication.
�Our government chose to have a presidential spokesperson, have a spokesperson for our Vice-president and so also, there are ministers (of information). The NPP which some of them are aligned to even had spokespersons for social services and many others ,� he maintained.
Prof. Yankah also advocated the adoption of the White House system where an individual mans the information of government and coordinates all forms of government policy statements but Mr Dogbe believes the University of Ghana Pro-Vice Chancellor�s suggestion was misplaced and ill-informed.
�Quite clearly if he was not engaging in exaggerated analysis, he would have done some empirical reading to know that even the Defense, Homeland Security, the State Department all have spokespersons and they have at least three assistant spokespersons. If you go to the White House, there is a Press Secretary, there is a Director of Communication and there are five different assistant press secretaries � one assigned to the Vice-President who works. So if you don�t know don�t just make comments,� he stressed.
Mr Stan Dogbe insisted that �we are focused as the communication team of government and we will continue to come out to the people of this country� and tell you what your government is doing. Good evening. NDC, Ekoyie kɛkɛ.�
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