Folks, in my Ghanaweb Feature Article of Sunday, 2 July 2006, titled “What Went Wrong In The NPP ....”, I made reference to the failure of Governments to pursue allegations made against public officials and whether they were true or not, how the lack of exoneration in the media can affect or taint their reputation.

One statement read:

“ There was another Okyeame Forumner Dr. Kwabena Donkor [aka Village Boy] who left UK after his PhD to return home and not soon after it was reported he had been involved in some corrupt activities. There was never any prosecution and so far as many may be concerned his reputation was tainted. The question is that if these accusations leveled against public servants are true, why is there no prosecution? Wasn’t there one news reporter who apologized profusely after the 2004 elections of having been coerced by his management to write false stories about President Kufuor? Folks, I have no reason to defend any of these people and I don’t know whether Dr. Apraku or Dr. Donkor or President Kufuor were guilty of charges against them. As a student of organizational management I ask questions.”

Folks, the statement should have read:

“There was never any prosecution or exoneration to the knowledge of this writer that was publicized the same way the charges were reported, and so far as many may be concerned his reputation was tainted. The question is that if these accusations leveled against public servants are true, why is there no prosecution? If not true, why does the government not exonerate these people and or reporters who made those reports not retract them and restore the good image of these people so charged?”

Folks, I sincerely regret any misinterpretation that the above mentioned people may have been guilty of any of the charges, and neither was I aware of any reports on this or other forum of their exoneration. From the Ghanaweb comments section under the article, I take Dr. Kwabena Donkor’s word that he was exonerated and hereby apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused him. I have absolutely no intention to malign a man I considered a friend from Okyeame forum before he left for Ghana, or a man I have not personally known to have committed any unethical conduct. Any implication that the mere mention of his name in this article or that of Dr. Kofi Apraku may imply guilt will be an unfortunate misinterpretation, and I recommend he reads the comments section after the article which I wrote just before I traveled, as well as others, to correct and apologize the same day. Kwabena and Kofi, trust me I shoot straight and if I wanted to speak to you about an impropriety or knew you were guilty of any violations, I would come out straight and strong. You have known me for that. That article was not meant to misalign any of you but to question the culture in which government–cum-press accusations are made but without publicized exoneration in our society.

Cheers,

Kwaku A. Danso
From East Legon, Accra, Ghana
[PS: I am not on Okyeame and having a friend post this for me]