Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, former Vice President of Ghana
There an adage in Akan which says; AKOKO ANTWIWAA BESA ABU NE PA DWE DWE SENARA A ENNYE AKROMA FE DA," to wit, “no matter how beautifully the hen will dance, it will never please the hawk”. Why? Because the hawk just doesn’t like the hen, and wants to eat it.
The imperative that “WOTAN OKWADUO A WOYI NE MMIRIKA”, literally, “no matter how much you hate the duiker you have to give it credit for its speed.
Society sets certain standards by which people are measured and it is my conviction that as a former press corps member if I cannot bequeath anything at all to former Vice President Kwesi Amissah –Arthur, I must at least bequeath to him, as a leader with a high sense of morality, uprightness and humility when it came to his press team.
That is what as an outgone member Vice Presidential Press Corps I saw in K. B. Amissah–Arthur. These were the leadership qualities the former Vice President of Ghana, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, had and proved to us as members of the Vice Presidential Press Corps.
We operated separately and were not part of the Flagstaff House Communication bureau platform for the dissemination of information. Meanwhile the Dean and the Vice Dean were from the Vice Presidents media team.
As his Press members one did not need permission to see him for discussions. If I am not lost as his Press we consistently met him on countless occasions when we had issues of our general welfare and observations. Beyond these, he proved to us what humility was so went learnt a lot from him. His press men were very important to him and we shared a lot of ideas with him.
Dare you a security man, ADC or whoever you were to cross the path of his press team. He met his team without staffers or aids.
Sometimes he personally wanted to see the vehicles that were being given to his press when we were going for an assignment. That was the man. He made sure we handled our stipends personally including accommodation of our choice whenever we travel. Whether Christmas or Easter packages they were personally handed over to us. No intermediaries.
After he left office he has and still gets in touch with his outgone press and remains a press builder of human social bridges.
There was nothing like editing of monies from his end as we hear .He dealt with us personally that was the man of transparent honesty that we worked with.
We will still miss his interactions and consultations with his media in order to acquaint himself with issues concerning the country.
He conducted his office peaceably – that is the man I saw. As Press men he taught us how to build trust, courts alliances, build consensus and holds trust and keep track of national issues in order to disseminate it. Amissah-Arthur is a time stickler he’s never late for a function. He was prompt
His schedule was very demanding, at times working very late into the night, but still had time for his press. Posterity would judge me and other press members of his team if I don’t set the records straight about the relationship with his media. It was excellent.
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