RE: High Commission in the UK

: Ghana High Commissioner to London Living like a King in the United Kingdom

My name is Dr Lawrence Mensah Akwetey and I am a Ghanaian living in London. I am a Senior Lecturer on the Coventry University Business School’s MBA programme delivered at the British Institute of Technology and E-Commerce and also the St James Business School’s Executive MBA programmes in London.

I have read and noted with profound disdain and a feeling of contempt the types of articles that someone who calls himself ‘Abdul Mohammed’ has posted on the Ghana Web. What comes to the fore straightaway is that this individual, in-as-much as he might have had some access or proximity to the day-to-day operations of the Ghana High Commission London, he is myopic, his interpretation and reporting skills are weak and seriously feeble, his sense of judgement is disgraceful and he appears to be an Alice in wonderland without any clue of where the four cardinal points are. In short, this individual lives in cloud-cuckoo land.

His command over the English Language is abysmal and his respect for authority is seriously flawed and disgraceful. All the allegations that this individual is levelling against Ghana first Citizen in the UK do not hold even a pint of water.

I do not think this Abdul Mohammed guy knows His Excellency (HE) Prof. Kwaku Danso-Boafo very well. The sorts of things that he has written about him (HE) do not tally with any of the characteristic traits of this distinguished diplomat.

Let me give Abdul Mohammed some education that might help him out of his misery. Prof Kwaku Danso-Boafo has been our country’s Ambassador to Cuba where he distinguished himself and worked so hard to the development of Ghana. If Abdul has ever heard of Cuban Doctors coming into Ghana and agreeing to work in urban and rural hospitals in the country, he (HE) has been a major contributory factor. As Ghana’s minister for Health in the NDC regime, he facilitated the building, opening and efficient operations of many new hospitals and health centres in the country. Working outside government, Prof Danso-Boafo distinguished himself as an excellent Professor of the subject he taught in the University in Atlanta, USA where he was based. These accolades are just one segment of my views on this distinguished man who we should be proud to have as our first citizen in the UK.

Now, I have lived in the UK for some time and have seen quite a few Ghanaian High Commissioners come and go. In my capacity as someone interested and passionate about the Ghanaian Community in the UK, I attend many, many engagements: association dinner dances, Ghana Union activities, delivering of academic lectures and also appearing on the Ghanaian TV, OBE, to discuss pertinent development issues of our dear country. And at most of these engagements, this indefatiguable son of Ghana is almost present at all of these events to support Ghanaians, not only in the UK, but the Ghanaian Diaspora. Sometimes, these programmes take him into the unholy hours of the day, but he stays put to serve the people of Ghana in the UK; a duty that brought him here. I was in Scotland in the early half of this year to witness him inaugurate the first ever Ghanaian Consular General to Scotland to make Ghanaians feel represented and catered for in that part of the country. Which Ghanaian envoy to the UK was able to accomplish this important feat? I hope I have given some education to Abdul Mohammed on the calibre of the man we are privileged to have in the UK as our High Commissioner.

Now, let me address Mohammed’s points made in his articles. First of all, it is significant to point out that this individual who thinks he can just use a false name to bamboozle the Ghanaian reading public has not succeeded because we know who he is. We would not bother to mention his name. We’ll leave him to stew in his ignorance and stupidity to the last letters of those words.

1. The first groundless allegation is that HE has “four personnel’s”. I don’t really know what “four personnel’s” mean. In any case, if the High Commissioner chooses to employ a butler from Ghana, why is that a problem in Mohammed’s view? The butler is the individual who, among other things, looks after the food and welfare of the employer. HE is entitled to a butler and a cook. There are Foreign Office rules to follow; and if these are done, what is Mohammed’s problem? Does he want this job of a butler himself?

2. “An employee for clerical service from Ghana.” What does this mean? The English is poor and the meaning purported to be conveyed here is seriously nebulous. Mohammed does not know what he is saying here! Disgraceful!

3. “Two drivers recruited from Ghana.” Hmm, another hoax! Abdul Mohammed, please let it be known to you that the High Commissioner does not employ drivers. He has far too many serious and profitable things on his table to address. You sound like an ignoramus here; and so you look.

Now, I will save you more embarrassment by not even responding to the rest of your wholly ludicrous and unintelligent allegations against the Ghana High Commission, UK and HE the High Commissioner, but rather refer you to the Foreign Service in Accra Ghana. You may contact HE Excellency Alhaji Mummuni, minister for Foreign Affairs by phone, post, e-mail or fax and make your complaints. The choice is yours. But let me sound a word of caution: You will just expose your illiteracy and total lack of civility and knowledge of procedures in Ghana’s establishments, home and abroad. A word to the wise in “The North.”

Dr Lawrence Akwetey lawrenceakwetey@hotmail.com