The ‘first scandal’? You don’t mean it, Manasseh [ARTICLE]

I note with utter shock a statement by Manasseh Awuni which sought to suggest that Fiifi Fiave Kwetey’s rather forceful caution to some leading members of his party over alleged deal-cutting pacts ‘with people who are supposed to be prosecuted’ registers as the first potential scandal that stares President Mahama in the face.

In an X post, Manasseh stated, ‘The first scandal is staring President Mahama in the face.’

Responding to the claim by the General Secretary of the party, Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey, that some members of the ruling National Democratic Congress were busy cutting deals with persons whose conduct in the previous administration merits prosecution, Manasseh further suggested that but for this allegation, President Mahama’s second coming has been bereft of any scandal, cautioning the president to crack the whip to save his legacy.

Personally, I find Manasse’s statement intriguing and the suggestion that this current administration is yet to register a single scandal, even shocking to the core. While I do not determine what should or should not constitute a scandal to Manasseh, I equally find it rather surprising that he has turned a blind eye to issues that would previously not have escaped his web of scrutiny. Truly his silence on some pressing issues, which he would have used words like ‘scandalous’ and ‘saga’ to describe in the past, leaves me wondering about his sense of fairness and objectivity as an investigative journalist.

I want to believe that maybe Manasseh has lost his lustre for investigative journalism and thorough screening of public issues in recent months. If the contrary is the case, then I am surprised about his suggestion that he has not seen anything scandal-laden in this administration.

While I do not want to be cautioned as being scandal shopping, I wish to bring his attention to some of these issues, which would have, in the past, passed for all the negative adjectives he could summon.

It is quite surprising to me that Manasseh is completely oblivious of the rather deteriorating fight against galamsey. Many reports by Erasmus Asare Donkor, arguably Ghana’s most decorated reporter on the galamsey beat, have insinuated alleged complicity by some security personnel and politically exposed individuals in the ruling administration. Attempting to suggest that this holds no potential for scandal is shocking. I find it surprising that Manasseh has not found allegations that a sitting member of parliament has allegedly been banished by his own traditional council over galamsey scandalous.

While I am not passing judgement of impropriety or otherwise on this matter, I am quite amazed that Manasseh, the Auditor-General of Contracts, does not find anything concerning about the numerous nolle prosequi entered to terminate some of the corruption allegations in the past. Isn’t it intriguing that Manasseh finds nothing wrong with the fact that some key party functionaries of the ruling National Democratic Congress have been referred to EOCO for investigation over their alleged involvement in galamsey? Shouldn’t well-meaning Ghanaians be bothered that our acclaimed investigative journalist sees no scandal in a video which captures a constituency chairman of a political party obviously obstructing security personnel enforcing anti-galamsey protocol?

Shouldn’t fair-minded Ghanaians be worried that a journalist of Manasseh’s standing does not consider an assault on a former minister of state and member of parliament scandalous? Isn’t it surprising that a threat on the life of the minority leader of Ghana’s parliament has not been worthy of any investigations?Need I reference the Greater Accra Minister’s tacit endorsement of vote-buying during the Ablekuma North bye-elections?

If you have read Manasseh’s 2024 publication, titled ‘‘The President Ghana Never Got’’, you will realise that he was at his investigative journalism best during the previous administrations’ tenure. Nothing went out of his angling lenses. In fact, he published both issues that were within the public domain and even ones that could pass as gossip. He called Nana Addo and his administration names, particularly picking on Ofori Atta and visibly courting public disaffection for him. I am quite intrigued that despite claiming that the previous administration was intolerant, none of his harsh criticisms of Nana Addo’s administration attracted or warranted his arrest or public harassment.

Indeed, despite claiming that Nana Addo and his administration had essentially criminalised the practice of journalism in Ghana, we did not record the number of attacks on journalists as we are recording in the first 8 months of this administration, a situation that the President of the Ghana Journalists Association has described as unprecedented. I wonder what Manasseh’s response would have been if security operatives had conducted several midnight armed raids like the ones we are seeing now.

Manasseh had suggested, during Nana Addo’s administration, that the extent of attacks on journalists was so intense he was advised to seek asylum outside the country. However, when he was launching his book, which I refer to as a compendium of attacks against Nana Addo’s administration, a few metres away from the FlagstaffHouse, there was no visible or extensive security protocol. Indeed, personally attending the launch, I couldn’t smell any aura of insecurity or fear. Will you be surprised to know that Hon. Kan-Dapaah, the then Minister of National Security, was present during Manasseh’s book launch?

While I am cognisant of the fact that some of these issues are yet to go through the full haul of investigation, and therefore claiming they are potentially scandalous would be unfair, I also note that during the previous administration, such caution for restraint on matters like this would be enough for Manasseh to call into question Nana Addo’s corruption fight and governance style. What I am seeing is selective attention, which flies in the face of objective and fair journalistic practice.

I cannot help but note a complete change in Manasseh’s posture and reckoning on some of these issues since this administration was sworn in. Maybe he is either busy or being less critical than he has been in the past. Be it as it may, I think it is fair to be fair. I do completely disagree, with every ounce of energy in me, that the issue Fiifi Kwetey is alleging is this administration’s first (emphasised) potential scandal, staring in President Mahama’s face.

I am here calling for equity. I am here calling for fairness. I am here condemning selective attention. This is the crux of my response to Manasseh’s rather weird suggestion.

Samuel Author
Media and Communications Consultant.