This Mudslinging Game Must Stop

The growing habit of storing private conversations between people (who are supposed to be buddies) and putting them out when the grapes go sour is as condemnable as hell.

Ever since Bank of Ghana (BoG) decided to embark on a house-cleaning exercise in the banking industry, the heads of some of the affected companies have been ‘demonized’ beyond measure on social media.

Starting from Dr. Kwabena Dufuor, CEO of the defunct UniBank, through Nana Appiah Mensah (NAM-1), CEO of MenzGold, to Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, CEO of GN Bank, it is amazing the quantum of recordings put out about these personalities by people who claimed to be their close associates. Even Madam Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie, leader of the Women’s Aglow Fellowship, was mocked on how her African Savings and Loans company got collapsed by the same exercise.

THE NEW PUBLISHER has lately listened to four audio sound bites, purported to have been a conversation between Dr. Nii Kotei Djanie, Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Finance Group of Companies (who was also affected), and one ‘Alhaji’ friend of his, and wish to say that it is appalled at the contents of the audios.

Even though we have not been able to reach Dr. Djanie or the ‘Alhaji’ to ascertain the authenticity of the audios, we find the contents rather disturbing.

What started as a friendly advice by the Alhaji to the Ideal Finance boss, about a looming revocation of his license eventually ended in some threats on Dr. Djanie.

The Alhaji, apparently angry that his savings got ‘locked up’ with Ideal Finance, sent series of unprintable vituperations, including a caution to Dr. Djanie not to forget that he (Alhaji) used to be leader of some notorious Land Guard units in Accra, and could strike anytime.

The back and forth drama took a shameful turn when the Alhaji literally rubbished the Office of the Council of State, of which Dr. Nii Kotei Djanie is a member. Hear him: “Member of Council of State my foot, I won’t even take it for a gift”.

In our view, no matter the extent of bad blood between the two pals, the timing of the release of the audios speaks volumes. Why is it being put out now, and what is the motive behind publicizing a private conversation one had had with a close pal sometime back?

We understand how frustrating it can be when a person’s entire savings at a bank cannot be withdrawn, but issuing threats and smearing people on social media is not the way out.  In our view, doing the right thing at the wrong time is as bad as doing the wrong thing.

THE NEW PUBLISHER totally condemns the practice of threatening people simply because they owe them. Ghana is a country of laws, and we think the best place to settle personal scores (either criminal or civil) is the law court.

Finally, it must be stressed that not all the heads of the affected financial groups in the country have criminal intent. It may be a matter of ‘business gone bad’, which is not necessarily the end of the road.

Posterity is the final judge.