The Error-Ridden 59th Independence Anniversary Brochure

NEWS COMMENTARY ON THE ERROR RIDDEN 59TH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY BROCHURE BROUHAHA 

Last Sunday, the 6th of March, an impressive parade was held at the Black Star Square in Accra to mark the 59th independence anniversary of Ghana. Yes, it was memorable. And same radiated throughout the country. But some avoidable errors at the national event took the shine out of the celebration. First, it was the awkward sight of seeing journalists climbed into a big, white tipper truck with the help of a long, shaky stepladder in order to cover the event. It was awkward not because of the fact that the journalists had to be in a tipper truck, but because of the nature of the event in question – a colourful national celebration with foreign dignitaries present. But the most significant has been the international embarrassment caused the nation with error ridden anniversary brochure that has led the nation talking ever since. The Event Brochure, which outlined the programme of the 59th Independence Day Parade at the Black Star Square as well as gave some historical facts about Ghana, named Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta as the ‘President of the Republic of Ghana’.  It further states that Ghana is now recognized as having attained low-income status in the world.  The Brochure also went ahead to state that Ghana is strategically positioned on the equator making her the centre of the globe. And like the sun, she radiates light to all parts of the world.  Further, the Brochure, which has gone viral on social media due to its errors, omitted the letter ‘s’ in ‘Arms’ in the part which sought to explain what ‘The Coat of Arms’ stood for. 

It is still baffling how officials, state or private, could allow such monumental factual and grammatical errors to go unnoticed. Initial information indicates that, the Information Services Department was responsible for the printing. The Acting Director of the Department, issued a public apology to the President and the entire nation for the embarrassment caused. But, subsequently, staff of the Information Services Department denied ever having anything to do with the printing of the brochure. Checks at the printing section of the Department revealed that the unit has been printing the brochure for the past five years but did not print this year’s edition. It is mind boggling why the Acting Director will expose his staff to such an embarrassment in the media as well as social media after he signed a letter taking responsibility. The staff are right by claiming that, by his conduct, they have been demoralised to work. It is now emerging that, the Communications Bureau at the Presidency was responsible for the printing. Someone needs to offer the nation explanation as to why the Department was not allowed to print this year's brochure, as they have the proven record of undertaking such jobs.

The brochure errors bring to the fore the need, to revamp the President's communication outfit. These kinds of gaffes and lapses are becoming one too many. President  Mahama had pages of his speech missing during his address at the closing session of  the 47th Ordinary Session of Economic Community of West African State, ECOWAS held in Accra  in 2015. There is no doubt that, on all those occasions, the Communications Bureau was fully responsible. The question is how many more times should that outfit subject the entire nation to such international ridicule? The brochure is the last stroke that should break the camel's back. No one who is found culpable must be left off the hook. Heads must roll. The state cannot continue to suffer such international humiliations due to the negligence or sheer incompetence of a few people. For now, the clarion call is for the Acting Director of the Information Services Department, Francis Kwarteng Arthur to resign. Apart from the embarrassment he caused the department, he as the chairman of the communications sub-committee of the 59th Independence Anniversary Planning Committee, shockingly admitted seeing the errors, earlier, but allowed the brochures to be distributed. These errors have caused embarrassment of gargantuan proportion to the nation and the President, and his apology cannot atone for the sin. But even as pressure is piled on the acting ISD Director to resign, the seemingly, dare devil mafia, at the Presidency, must be fished out and dealt with accordingly. No one should be made to feel untouchable.

BY: BUBU KLINOGO, A JOURNALIST.