Adjei-Barwuah Struggles For Job

Public Agenda's sources in Japan have picked signals that Ghanaians there are planning a massive demonstration in the embassy against the continuous stay in office of Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah. Adjei-Barwuah was Ghana's Ambassador to Japan but had to resign in September 2007 to contest the NPP flagbearership in December 2007. His critics say his return to post sneakily, though is contrary to the spirit of the New Patriotic Party's Constitution. Public Agenda has learnt that the decision to register their protest openly, is premised on the fact that although Dr. Adjei-Barwuah had relinquished his position, "he is back to Japan and actually running the Mission." Our intelligence checks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NEPAD indicated that the Chief Director wrote a letter, on behalf of the Sector Minister, instructing Dr. Adjei-Barwuah to vacate the Mission by February 29, 2008 but he has ignored the letter. When Public Agenda contacted Hon. Akwasi Osei-Adjei, he confirmed the substance of the story but declined to disclose the exact date given to Dr. Barwuah to vacate the mission. He revealed that when Dr. Adjei-Barwuah filed his documents to contest the NPP standardbearership, his attention was drawn to the eligibility criteria for public officials to resign their post, a requirement he acceded to. The Minister disclosed that the Ministry in accordance with official rules gave Dr. Adjei-Barwuah some dispensation to organise himself and vacate the mission. However, a request from Dr. Adjei-Barwuah for an extension was declined. He said the Ministry is sticking to its guns and would not waver an inch from that position. He, nonetheless, described the planned demonstration by the Ghanaians in Japan as uncalled for since the Ministry was firmly dealing with the issue. He thus appealed to the would-be demonstrators to remain calm. It would be recalled that prior to the NPP December 22, 2007 Presidential eight cabinet Ministers resigned their positions to contest the elections. They included the eventual winner, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Foreign Affairs and NEPAD; Alan Kyeremateng, Trade, Industry and Private Sector Development; Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor, Defence Ministry; Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Water Resources, Works and Housing. Others were Papa Owusu-Ankomah; Education, Science and Sports; Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Tourism and Diasporan Relations; Felix Owusu Agyepong, Majority Leader and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry and Prof. Mike Oquaye, Communications Ministry. Dr. Adjei-Barwuah polled six votes to place 15th position among 16 contestants.