Confusion over Anyidoho’s post

Government Officials are tight-lipped over the supposed appointment of former Presidential Spokesman, Koku Anyidoho as Presidential Aide with the National Security.

Accra-based Radio XYZ broke the news of his appointment early Wednesday morning thus: “Communications Director at the Presidency in the Mills administration, Koku Anyidoho, has been appointed as the President’s special aide with National Security.”

But attempts by DAILY GUIDE to get an official confirmation or denial from government proved unsuccessful.

Neither the Minister of Information and Media Relations Mahama Ayariga, nor his deputies Felix Kwakye Ofosu and Murtala Mohammed would answer their phones to either confirm or deny the report which has since become the talk of town.

Former Deputy Minister of Information, James Agyenim-Boateng, who is now a staffer at the office of Vice President Amissah-Arthur equally shied away from the issue when it came up for discussion on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo morning show yesterday.

He proceeded to caution his colleague studio panellist and Central Regional Secretary of the NPP, Kwamena Duncan to desist from giving credence to the story, since there was no official confirmation to that effect.

Attempts by the paper to reach Koku himself for a comment proved futile, since he also failed to respond to calls and messages sent to his mobile phone.

The supposed appointment of Koku has therefore raised a lot of eyebrows since it did not come through any official communication channel like the usual press releases that are often issued and sent to the media from either the Ministry of Information or in other cases, by the Executive Secretary to the President, Dr Raymond Atuguba.

The recent appointment of former BBC broadcaster Ben Dotse Malor as Senior Communications Adviser and Head of Communications at the Presidency, was announced in a similar fashion, with the issuing of a press statement signed by Information Minister, Mahama Ayariga himself.

The supposed appointment of Koku Anyidoho as Presidential Aide with the National Security therefore aroused suspicion since it deviated from the norm, without any official confirmation.

Until this supposed appointment of Koku to the said position, he was believed to be working at the National Security, since a statement issued by government somewhere last year asked the former Spokesman for the late President Mills to report at the National Security Secretariat for posting.

Some therefore consider Koku’s supposed appointment a hoax or a planted story.