‘Kokonte Boys’ London Trip Questioned

Many people have started questioning the significance of the recent trip embarked upon by some young government appointees, who are popularly known as ’kokonte boys’.

The government officials, including the Deputy Minister of Tourism, James Agyenim Boateng, Environment Science and Technology, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Information, Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa travelled to the UK ostensibly to watch the Ghana-England match under the pretext of holding ‘youth forum.’ The rest are presidential aides, Stanislav Xoese Dogbe, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye and Ludwig Hlodze, who also doubles as the National Youth Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). But days after their return to the country, questions are being asked about the importance of the travel since some have described it as a pleasure trip.

According to the UK and Ireland branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the NDC boys pretended to be engaging the youth in what they referred to as a “dubious youth forum,’ but their main intention was to watch the Ghana-England match at Wembley. This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the Communications Officer of the NPP branch, Nana Yaw Sarpong. Attempts to get an official response from government proved futile since the Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Ablakwa, who was part of the group, failed to answer his calls neither did he respond to a text message.

In the face of the seeming challenges facing the country including the increasing rate of youth unemployment, cholera outbreak, corruption in public institutions and among government ministers, labour discontent, the NPP wondered whether it was necessary for the three appointees to embark on the trip which they said cost the taxpayer well over £20,000 for the five days they spent in the UK.

They therefore wondered what happened to the promise by President Mills to control public spending, adding, “Why should they tell Ghanaians that they are here for a so-called Youth Forum when they really are here to watch a football match and engage in shopping trips?”

The NPP group believes some of the ministers seem not to know why they are in government, since according to them “so many young Ghanaian entrepreneurs who have sought to invest in Ghana have expressed frustration at the lack of response from this regime when business proposals are sent to them for consideration and response.”