Komla Dumor
Komla Dumor, a BBC news anchor, has doused attempts by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to shove a presidential appointment down his throat.
On Monday, the Al Hajj newspaper, owned by Alhaji Bature Iddrisu, a known operative of the ruling NDC, disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama was considering conscripting the BBC anchor into his government as presidential spokesperson.
But Mr. Dumor, who expressed utter surprise at the news, which he described as “beyond nonsensical,” was unequivocal in his resolve that he was not interested in the government job.
Apparently, he was not even consulted for the purported post.
He disclosed that nobody had personally informed him of the existence of such a portfolio. “So I am in bed and my phone is ringing off the hook.13 missed calls…. Then I get this text. Apparently, I just got appointed to a government job in Ghana and I didn’t even know it. Beyond nonsensical,” he fumed on his social media platform.
According to the clearly stunned BBC anchor, his telephone had been inundated by calls from radio stations in Ghana and from family and friends.
Hundreds of his friends have expressed mixed reaction to his insistence that he was not interested in the job; while some thought he was actually going to take the job, others thought his denial was just a smokescreen typical of politicians.
To the concerns that he was merely pulling a political wool over the eyes of his friends and accomplices, he simply remarked, “Good thing, I’m not a politician then…” he remarked.
According to the Al Hajj newspaper in the controversial publication, “Close sources at the seat of government, the Osu Castle, disclosed to The Al-Hajj that, President Mahama’s decision to appoint the world-class Ghanaian broadcaster to the high office of spokesperson is due to Mr. Dumor’s stunning performance and achievement in the area of communication.”
According to the paper, Komla Dumor’s proposed appointment would displace the incumbent presidential spokesperson, John Abdulai Jinapor. John Jinapor is said to be billed for a ministerial position.
Indeed, this is not the first time that the NDC government has targeted Mr Dumor since his employment by the BBC in 2006.
Operatives of the party have boasted that Mr. Dumor was definitely going to shed his BBC role for a juicy government appointment.
Prior to his 2006 BBC appointment, Mr Dumor was the morning show host of Joy FM in Accra. He is currently a news presenter for the BBC World Service. The broadcaster also presents the BBC World News and “Africa Business Report.”
All inclusiveness gone sour
Since he was declared winner of the keenly contested December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections, President John Mahama has vowed to form an all-inclusive government.
According to him, every Ghanaian, irrespective of his political affiliation, would be part of his new government, which would be formed after his swearing-in.
So shortly after the swearing-in, a list of his proposed ministers included some well known technocrats and academics who have not publicly shown any political colouration whatsoever.
The list of President Mahama’s new appointees includes a law lecturer, Dr. Raymond Atuguba, whose political loyalty prior to his appointment was difficult to determine.
The same could be said of the appointment of popular Human Rights lawyer, Nana Oye-Lithur who has been designated as the prospective Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Also, the political affiliation of Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyeman, Minister of Education-designate, was mostly unknown until her nomination when former students of her school confirmed that she had been an NDC sympathizer.
By Raphael Ofori-Adeniran