Anas Expose and The Smuggled Non-Existent Excerpts (Article)

I have monitored to my utmost amazement, in the wake of the Anas expose how certain persons have decided to drag innocent persons into the matter. Others have also for the purposes of propaganda managed to add their twists to the story, they managed to use social media to import their own stories into the expose and used same to attack the personalities of innocent persons who were never even mentioned in the video.

Typical example is the “president is in my pocket” bit that certain unscrupulous persons have mischievously managed to import into the media narrative. I am glad however that Kwaku Baako has come out to correct this erroneous misrepresentation and misinformation.

Even more worrying is the case of our Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Francis Asenso-Boakye, an innocent person that certain elements within and without the confines of the party and government have sworn to destroy using malicious fabrications, outright lies, subterfuge and naked concoctions just to sully his reputation. Kwaku Baako has again stated this on record, that Asenso-Boakye was never mentioned in the tape.

As one of the closest men around the president, and the president’s political assistant, Asenso-Boakye is always around the president whether in Ghana or abroad, something that has made him a target of people’s envy and evil machinations. Such things are always anticipated. It is however amazing how certain elements have consistently tried, albeit without any success to dent his image and reputation by deliberately dragging him into frivolous, petty and pestiferous controversies. Even when the matter has nothing to do with Asenso-Boakye, these detractors always find a way of dragging his name into it.

I remember quite vividly, how when the president nominated someone for the position of the EPA boss and the Public Services Commission refused to endorse this candidate’s nomination and the president subsequently had to withdraw the appointment. We were again made to believe it was Asenso-Boakye who was behind it and that he so badly wanted the position for his brother. He was vilified and crucified for something he knew next to nothing about just because he is close to the president. Later it emerged that, PSC obviously refused to endorse that nomination due to the candidate’s unsatisfactory and below par performance when he met the commission. If Asenso-Boakye truly wanted that position for his brother, why would he wait for someone to be nominated? Can Asenso-Boakye alone force his will on the entire membership of the commission? Till date, nobody has been able to show or tell us which of Asenso-Boakye’s brothers is heading the EPA. Some of the things Asenso-Boakye has been accused of are astonishing in their defiance of logic, reason and common sense.

ANAS TAPE, EXCERPTS THAT NEVER WERE AND MATTERS ARISING:

It is therefore not surprising that in the wake of the Anas video, these unscrupulous persons through the help of their social media agents have cunningly found a way of dragging Mr. Asenso-Boakye’s name into it and I’ve seen how A Plus, a very bitter person(been bitter since Asenso humbly turned down his request for a favour) who seems to have lost his senses since he humiliated himself in that pitiful attempt to tag Messrs. Asenso-Boakye and Abu Jinapor as corrupt, an attempt that woefully backfired. I have seen how this character has gone on a sarcasm laced philippics, with very reckless insinuations that Nyantakyi could’ve paid one guy whose name came up, making indirect references to Asenso-Boakye. I thought A Plus would’ve gotten over this after his apology in October of 2017, for describing Asenso-Boakye and Abu Jinapor as corrupt and even more so, one would think he’d stop these childish antics after the humiliation he subjected himself to when he appeared on that edition of The Super Morning Show with Kojo Yankson. I pray A Plus finds himself a cure, hatred is such a terrible thing to consume a man’s heart.

I have also seen Afia Schwarzenegger make references to same, why do we even need to worry our heads over non-existent stories being propagated by persons lacking the most basic of scruples and who fall short of the most rudimental tenets of morality.

For those in the NDC spreading this, that is pretty much understandable, they’ve been programmed to see a cat and say tiger and to see a goat and insist a cow. Such is the expertise of established propagandists.

ASENSO-BOAKYE WAS NOT MENTIONED IN THE ANAS VIDEO:

Beyond these deviltry of malicious character assassins who always want to ride on the hard-won reputation of honorable men to be heard and fuel their relevance, one thing that is worth noting is the fact that, NOWHERE IN THE ANAS TAPE was Asenso-Boakye’s name mentioned. Not by Nyantakyi, not by any other person captured in the video. Nowhere in the discussions by the persons in the video was Asenso’s name ever mentioned, and no particular reference, directly or indirectly was made to him in that video. A fact that has already be affirmed by Abdul Malik Kweku-Baako. The rather desperate attempt by internal and external saboteurs and character assassins must be ignored and treated with the utmost of contempt.

FACTS OF THE CASE:

1. It was only in an email from Nyantakyi to his investor friends that he stated that he was going to talk to Asenso to arrange a meeting between them and the president because of Asenso role as the president’s assistant.
2. It is also worth noting, that Asenso did not even arrange this meeting, the meeting never came on and in fact, these are just Nyantakyi‘s words to his friends in an email.

Be that as it may, and granted that this even is the case, what could be so wrong if someone intends to seek Asenso-Boakye’s assistance to facilitate a meeting between his boss and some potential investors? Is that not supposed to be a part of his roles around the president? Would that not be a service to the nation? That he facilitates for potential investors who seek to invest in our economy to meet the number one gentleman of the land if it happens to come through him? There is absolutely nothing wrong facilitating potential investors to meet the president of a country, these are everyday occurrences that occur in all places.

It is however unfortunate that this wicked misconception is created out there that Nyantakyi mentioned Asenso-Boakye in the tape and that he was going to pay him a million dollars. This ridiculousness can only be a figment of the infertile imaginations of pathetic people. It is a horrible and despicable lie, that has been smuggled into media discussions surrounding the video. Even more unfortunate is how certain elements in the party have joined in spreading this mischief out of hate and sheer envy.

People think Asenso-Boakye, by his proximity and close association with the president has been made too powerful and some even think he is undeserving of his position. Very unfortunate yet again, how wrong they are. Point is, Asenso-Boakye did not rise to his position by some dint of luck, he worked hard for it and has conducted himself with candor, honour and honesty. He has dedicated over a decade of his young life towards serving the president and helping him realize the dream of becoming president. He has served this party with all he has, as first president of TESCON. He did not join the party when victory was secured. He’s made sacrifices, for over 10 years, when others gave up, he stayed.

This is a young man who holds a Master’s degree from an American university, he worked in America, had the opportunity to pursue a career in America, has his wife and kids in America and has sacrificed the times he could’ve been with them, time he could’ve used to play an integral part in the upbringing of his children, time he could’ve spent with his wife and family, he dedicated and gave all of it to serve the president. When others thought he was not being smart staying by Nana Addo after our successive losses at the polls, when he had the opportunity to pursue a professional career in the United States, he defied all these and ignored the criticisms, he ignored the voices of the naysayers who kept telling him Nana Addo was never going to be president, kept faith, and he stayed. I think we need to cut the gentleman some slack, he has made valuable sacrifices and continue to make, he has paid his dues and in full. He is deserving of whatever position the president in his wisdom offers him.

Beyond these, he’s proven himself a man of solid integrity, with an enviable character and an unblemished reputation to warrant his continuous stay close to the president. Many were around, but their characters and conducts gave them out. Asenso-Boakye remains one of the most humble, down to earth and incorruptible personalities in our politics today, not just in the NPP, but in Ghana.

Author: Mustapha Hameed