General News of Tuesday, 18 August 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Martin Amidu slams Professor Opoku-Agyemang for writing foreword of Kwamena Ahwoi’s book

Former Attorney General, Martin Amidu Former Attorney General, Martin Amidu

Former Attorney General, Martin Amidu has slammed Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang for doing a shoddy job as the foreword writer for Kwamena Ahwoi’s ‘Working with Rawlings’ book.

Amidu, in a critique of the book, questioned if the accomplished educationist carried out a comprehensive edit of the book before writing the foreword.

Amidu in his critique highlighted some inconsistencies and misrepresentations. which he expected the foreword writer to notice.

The Special Prosecutor quizzed if Opoku-Agyemang executed her job as an editor and reviewer before endorsing the book.

|Whilst the foreword is normally not an integral part of the book, no ethical academic will ever write a foreword to a scholarly book without first reading the book to make an objective assessment of its veracity because the writer of the foreword knows the invitation to write the foreword was based on the intention to use his or her reputation to entice the public to invest financial and human resources in purchasing and reading it,” he stated.

“In this instance, the writer of the foreword is marketing the book with her credentials of PhD/FGA and has an ethical obligation to the public for integrity and truth in what she says with her credentials in the foreword”.

“Did the writer of the foreword play any significant role as an editor, a reviewer, and an institutional colleague of the primary author in his narratives and writing or authoring of the book such that by the ethics of scholarly and professional writing she or he should not ethically have written the foreword to the book? Did she or he conceal those facts which make for an accountable and transparent ethical foreword writing in her foreword to the book?” he quizzed

Among the inaccuracies identified by Amidu in the book is a part that purports that he was part of the National Reform Movement (NRC).

“I was identified and baited by the author and Mr. Kofi Totobi-Kwakye, then the Minister for National Security, with the Vice Presidential candidacy in the 2000 election to breach the ranks of the movement. I am reported to have excitedly swallowed the bait."

"The narrative is an irredeemable lie because I can say and prove authoritatively in due course that neither the late Mr. Amissah-Arthur nor I was an associate or member of the National Reform Movement,” Mr. Amidu stressed.