Ghana ambassador to Germany runs riot

– By Mellisa Sheriddan, ANA Diplomatic Correspondent

The Ghana ambassador to Germany, Akua Senaa Dansua prevented a leading and most experienced African journalist in Germany from covering a business meeting to highlight her own country’s energy potential. Ironically, the journalist, Musah Ibrahim Musah, CEO of WapsMedia and BiosCalon Medical Consultancy, also happens to be a Ghanaian.

It all happened on Monday, 13th July 2015 at around 1500 hours at the offices of the German-African Association where the visiting Hon. Mahama Ayariga, Ghana’s Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation had gone to address a group of German business executives on potentials in the Ghanaian energy sector. The theme of the Minister’s talk was: “New Developments in Ghana in the sectors environment, science, technology and innovation.”

Musah, as usual went there with his camera team to highlight his country, Ghana and the Hon. Minister’s address to the business executives.

We want to place on record that this is the second time such rudeness has been visited on our Editor-in-Chief by this particular ambassador. No other African or European ambassador for that matter has ever shown such rudeness to him as the Ghanaian ambassador had done. The first incident occurred during celebrations marking Ghana’s Independence Day in March this year at the offices of the Deutsche Bank. We decided to brush that aside thinking the ambassador was under immense pressure – the anniversary being her first major event after taking up her post on 3rd July 2014.

We wish to further state that, Musah, until now, has had a very cordial relationship dating back from the 1980s with all ambassadors from Ghana and other African ambassadors accredited to Germany, a relationship based on mutual respect; and this, irrespective of party political affiliation. Musah always places Ghana and Africa first in all that he does – especially his desire to follow the activities of delegations from Ghana and other African countries here in Germany. He was at the recently ended G7 Summit at Castle Elmau in Bavaria, south of Germany where he met with Presidents Mahamadu Buhari of Nigeria, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson of Liberia, the President of Senegal as well as the Prime Minister of Ethiopia during the G7 Outreach programme.

Ambassador Akua Senaa Dansua, you are picking the wrong enemy in this crusade that you have taken upon yourself. We saw it all. Your claim that you are also a journalist, and, to quote you: “I know how journalists work” is nonsense. Musah is the wrong person to address this balderdash to. When our CEO started work as a journalist, you were perhaps in the early stages of your education in school. As ambassador from Ghana, you must be well versed in Ghana’s cultural traditions of respect for your elders. As ambassador, you must be the embodiment of your country’s cultural norms. He may not be the President of Ghana, but we are absolutely sure and confident that His Excellency, John Dramani Mahama, the President of the Republic of Ghana will not talk to him the way you did.

And, if you had remained as a reporter at the Weekly Spectator and the Ghanaian Times, you wouldn’t have achieved one percent of what he has accomplished in journalism. He had been rubbing shoulders with journalists at both the Ghanaian Times and Weekly Spectator long before you completed your journalism training at the Ghana Institute of Journalism. Check your facts – some of those he encouraged to take up journalism were your seniors at Ghanaian Times and Weekly Spectator. Politics being a “dirty game” you are now an ambassador. Humility, humility and humility should therefore be your guiding principle.

You claim you were also a journalist. Do the following names ring a bell in your ears? K.B. Brown, Ewusi-Brookmann, T.B. Otti, Christian Aggrey, Kwao Lotsu, Bob Bentil, Henry Addison, Ambassador Kabral Blay Amihere, David Anaglate, Eric Heymann, Osei Poku, Ebow Godwin etc. etc., and a whole lot of other veteran journalists. These were Musah’s contemporaries. Tell the world where you were when he sat with most of these fine Ghanaian journalists to decide editorial policy? Make no mistake about it! That man is not your equal. Under normal circumstances, where he treads, you dare not set your foot there. Plus, if he had entered politics as you had done, he would have been your senior in cabinet.

You were struggling to call the BBC to verify his credibility. What the hell? Who are you at all to question Musah’s credibility? May God (if you ever believe in Him) have mercy on you! In any case if you still want to verify his credibility, we have no problem with that. Do not go too far. Ask people closer to home, within the ruling NDC itself. Ask Hon. Richard Quashigah, MP for Keta; ask Mr Harry Reynolds, Information Officer at Ghana’s permanent mission in New York; ask Ambassador Ken Koku Kanda, former Chief of Protocol and until recently Ghana’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations etc., ask them what Musah mean to them when it comes to the profession of journalism. Furthermore, if he has questionable credibility, who will allow him to come closer to the most powerful woman in Europe – if not the entire world – namely the German Chancellor, Dr Angela Merkel? You saw him at the Chancellor’s reception for the Diplomatic Corps held on the evening of the day you went on the rampage against him.

We had a video of you “courtesying” to the Chancellor – which shouldn’t be done – because she’s not the queen of Germany. Her position is EXECUTIVE in nature and NOT, repeat NOT Ceremonial; a clear demonstration of your lack of knowledge of diplomatic niceties. One could read the embarrassment on the Chancellor’s face. Use your time to study such diplomatic procedures instead of wasting precious time calling round to verify other people’s credibility.

To add insult to injury wasn’t he the only Ghanaian and African journalist present on 3rd July 2014 when you presented your credentials to the German President Joachim Gauck? I was with him on that day. And weren’t his media grouping the only ones to carry a story about your big day!

So, our question is: what on earth do you have against this man who commands respect in politics, the academia, in industry, in the media; you name it, in Germany? Reputation built over 30 years of dedication and hard work. We are not going to sit down unconcerned to allow a nonentity like you parading as ambassador in a foreign country to destroy his reputation, just one year after arriving here as ambassador. You came and met him here in Germany. Is tarnishing his reputation your number one mission as ambassador? If he will not protect himself, we shall protect him with all the resources at our disposal.

Indeed, Musah pleaded with us not to go public with what had happened. His argument was that no matter your continuous stupid and undiplomatic and dishonourable behaviour, you still remain the appointed representative of His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama. That we should respect His Excellency’s decision of apppointing you as his ambassador to Germany.

In fact, Hon. Ayariga and some members of his delegation got a glimpse of what had happened. Our apologies to you, Honourable Minister! The provocation came from the ambassador, which is shameful!

Ask Dr Obeng Gyan, an uncle of the First Lady. We hear you are a close friend of the First Lady. Be reminded that your close friendship with the First Lady does not give you the license to go rampaging and throwing your weight about. Ghana’s First Lady, for all we know, is a very respectful, humble and sober person. Do not drag her good name and that of His Excellency the President into disrepute. Those closer to leaders must show some element of humility. Closeness to leaders is a huge responsibility that must be taken seriously.

A credible ambassador is the one that protects the image and interests of the citizens of the country they represent. If you have a problem with them, summon them to your office and talk to them, you don’t just behave like a beast trying to soil their image (crucially in public, in the presence of the very business people you want to invite to invest in your country), and by extension the image of the country you’re supposed to protect.

That’s exactly what you succeeded in doing, we’re afraid. Some of the business executives were lost for words. Some asked “why is she against media coverage of such an important event for Ghana?”

That an ambassador will prevent the media from documenting the activities of a Minister from their own country is tantamount to the highest stage of ignorance. It is akin to sabotaging the progress of the country they claim to represent. It is a case of not wanting the people of Ghana to read about the good work the Minister came to Germany to perform.

Ambassador Dansua has a problem with journalists. She is allergic to media practitioners even though she claims she "is also a journalist". Part of her problem is that she simply can't accept the fact that a black person like Musah Ibrahim Musah is capable of moving within the highest corridors of power in Federal Republic of Germany. He is the only black accredited journalist at the Presidency as well as at the Federal Chancellery; and he is Ghanaian. So, it does not make any sense at all that of all ambassadors, it is the Ghanaian ambassador who should question his credibility. People are wondering and asking “What’s going on here?”

You will be the loser in this unwarranted crusade should you continue this way, we can assure you. We know all about you. But be assured, our type of journalism is not destructive. You need not fear. Please when you do go to bed, have a sound sleep, Musah in Berlin or not. When your tour of duty ends, you will go back and leave him here as your predecessors have all done!

For the records, this is the first time since 1979 that we are writing such an article about the unwarranted behaviour of an African ambassador toward their own people in Europe. That's because we have never experienced such rudeness from any of them until we met this one from Ghana! That says it all!

We shall return!