Maverick politician and Communications Team member of the New Patriotic Party(NPP) Solomon Owusu has expressed displeasure over how the cousin of President Akufo Addo, Gabby Otchere Darko has been made to look more powerful than the government.
According to him, the situation is affecting the image of the government and the NPP must not look on unconcerned.
Gabby Asare Otchere who’s described as a leading member of the governing party does not hold any government position but he’s considered by many as a powerful and influential figure in government circles and allegedly able to pull some strings.
He’s very vocal in the country’s political discourse often mounting a strong defence for his cousin-President Akufo-Addo’s government. His words appear to carry a lot of weight and recently through a Tweet, gave a hint of Ghana going to the IMF for a bailout 48 hours before an official government announcement.
Speaking on Ghana Kasa Show on Kasapa 102.FM/Agoo TV, Solomon Owusu stated that Gabby is not a government appointee hence the media should stop focusing on him and taking his comments on issues as an official government position.
“…This is a problem the government is facing, when Gabby Otchere Darko tweets then it becomes a government position or policy. The last time I checked Gabby does not have any official position in government. We’ve made Gabby more powerful than the government and it’s affecting the image of the government, and as a political party we must not sit down for this to happen. He has his right to talk but the media is making a great disservice to the country. Gabby doesn’t hold a position in government, he’s not the Finance Minister, He’s not the Chief Advisor to the President and yet we’ll be reporting and discussing what he’s saying as against that of the other Ministers.
He added: “What is going on is giving the NPP and government a bad name. The emphasis should be on those who we use our taxes to pay. How can Gabby answer to the country, has there ever been an instance where Parliament has summoned a Minister to answer a question and Gabby has done that on behalf of a Minister? Because the country does not recognize him in any official position hence his word must not be taken as an official government position.”
Source: Kasapafmonline.com/102.5FM