{"id":446096,"date":"2011-06-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-06-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/06\/23\/theres-a-competition-for-attention-in-govt-communication-machinery-yankah\/"},"modified":"2011-06-23T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2011-06-23T00:00:00","slug":"theres-a-competition-for-attention-in-govt-communication-machinery-yankah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/06\/23\/theres-a-competition-for-attention-in-govt-communication-machinery-yankah\/","title":{"rendered":"There’s a competition for attention in gov’t communication machinery – Yankah"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Audio Attachment
Listen to Prof. Kwesi Yankah<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

The Pro-Vice chancellor of University of Ghana, Prof. Kwesi Yankah, has urged the government to consider unifying its communication apparatus to prevent the continuous misinformation by individuals mandated to speak on its behalf.<\/p>\n

He made the call when he delivered a lecture organized by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

Government\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

But Prof. Yankah said \u201cthe situation conveys the impression of a rather wobbly executive apparatus which needs parallel structures for reinforcement or double assurance.\u201d<\/p>\n

He questioned the rationale behind the current state of having a number of units and individuals speaking on the same government policies when it can clearly be a recipe for distortions and allow for a plethora of policy contradictions.<\/p>\n

\u201dThe 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,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n

To him, modeling the communication machinery towards the White House system – where an individual mans the information unit of government and coordinates all forms of government policy that goes out – would be better.<\/p>\n

Explaining his position further on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show<\/strong> on Thursday, Prof. Yankah said government has no business in appointing a spokesperson for the Vice President.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

He said everyone speaking on behalf of the government wants to be recognised for giving out the information which, at the end of the day, reveals a messy trail when the dust settles.<\/p>\n

But a deputy Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Alex Segbefia has justified government’s decision to create a an office for the Vice President’s spokesperson.<\/p>\n

In times past when government was all about the President, he noted, this present administration has decided to give the Vice President better visibility so he can complement the President’s work.<\/p>\n

Mr Segbefia who spoke to Kojo Oppong Nkrumah on the Super Morning Show however agreed with Prof. Yankah on the need for harmonising government’s communication machinery but was quick to explain that this has become very difficult as the general public and the media are increasingly becoming very hungry for government information.<\/p>\n

He said as a government, coordinating the information flow is key because it can have some negative repercussions on the operations of the government.<\/p>\n

Mr Segbefia believes government needs commendation for being able to accept its errors when the need arises as it is marked evolution from the days when governments refused to accept their faults.<\/p>\n

Story by Derick Romeo Adogla\/Myjoyonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read more from the original source:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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