Ministers of State would not be present when the President, John Evans Atta Mills, meets the crème de la crème of the media on Friday morning at the castle.
Usually, during such encounters, the president is flanked by these lieutenants – ministers – to help provide answers to some challenging questions emanating from the media personnel.
According to the Communications Director at the Presidency, Koku Anyidoho, the ministers “are not expected to be there” in yet a purely media affair.
Perhaps the decision was prompted by the fact that during last year’s event, even though the ministers were present, the President did not make use of them as he stood for hours to whether all the stormy questions from the press. “A directive has gone out to ministers to stay at post and concentrate on what they have to do in their ministries,” Mr Anyidoho told Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoh Thursday evening.
The president, he noted, would first make some preliminary comments and the floor would then be given to the media to bombard him with myriad of questions. “Ask as many as you want within the time that we have …[but]… Ask a solid question and allow your brother or sister to ask a question,” he pointed out.
About 70 media operators, media owners, broadcast and print journalists, and show hosts and producers among other media practitioners have confirmed their participation.
Meanwhile, the largest opposition party, New Patriotic Party, has put out 24 questions expecting the media to put across to the president for answers. The questions, its General Secretary Kwodwo Owusu Afriyie said, are summaries of questions which have inundated the party’s office, which the people wish to ask the president.
Some season journalists have also shared their thoughts on some questions they would want answers from the president.
The meeting which coincides with the president’s two years in office is to afford media practitioners an opportunity to pick the thoughts of President Mills on thorny national issues.