Deputy Chief of Staff Abu Jinapor has described the government’s consistent communication with the public on the health status of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, as a “marked departure” from the past.
Drawing comparison from the past regime’s handling of late President John Evans Mills’ sickness, Abu Jinapor said the government has been transparent from the very first day Dr Bawumia was taken ill.
When he was ill the Director of Communications at the Presidency issued a statement and when he went to London on the advice of his doctors the Chief of Staff sent a statement, he said.
“In the past, there was no admission that the late president was sick,” he told Kojo Yankson on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Friday.
The health of Ghana’s president and vice president has been a major political weapon used by the two largest political parties -National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP)- during and post-elections.
Both the governing NPP and opposition NDC have raised issues with the health status of each other's presidential candidates.
But their response to such attacks has been a complete denial as witnessed in the handling of the health of late president John Evans Atta Mills.
When the then president Mills arrived in the country in June 2012 after spending days outside, he said he went for a routine medical checkup.
He jogged on the tarmac of the Kotoka International Airport to dispel rumors that he was terminally ill.
Unfortunately, he died on July 24, 2012, exactly five months to the controversial 2012 general elections.
But the consistent communication on the health condition of the Vice president is markedly transparent and departure from the handling of Mill’s health, Mr Jinapor said.
“In my view, the level of disclosure is one that is reasonable and sufficient and ought to be commended,” he said.
But he would not subscribe to any call to have the actual health situation of Dr Bawumia made public.
“The fact that one is a public officer does not mean he is not entitled to some privacy,” he said.
Source: joynews
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@ Patrick: NDC will always remain un-reading and unreasonable! We are talking of fairness in reporting on the health of the Veep and what has that got to do with monies collected at the seat of government? On corruption, Ghanaians are yet to know of its gravity so that if used wrongly like you NDCs are doing you suffer the consequences in the future. When you people start to face the special prosecutor you will realise that Nana is not joking. By then Ablakwa and Araiga or NDC members on parliamentary committee will see if they can write their own report aside the report of the full inquiry. You ***barred word*** guys who can never separate incompetence from competence. What a disgraccee!
Listen to this fuulish and usuless guy. Did you disclose what was wrong with Bawumia? You guys fuulishly rushed to announce that he was sick but you never disclosed the sickness. How do I pray for an unknown sickness to be healed? What will be my direction of prayers? All efforts to get you disclose the sickness failed until some of us heard he collapsed and had a mild stroke. You think we don't know. You guys were left off the hook regarding the $10,000 and GHc 10,000-20,000 bribe you are taking at the seat of government. Next time you will not be that lucky. You will eventually fall into the trap. Bawumiah himself has suddenly become the only saviour of Ghana. Mr. Know Everything! Now that he is back in good health, he should take it easy, else his coffin is ready for him. I am sure he will resume his duty of arresting the dollars and the pounds sterling. You lied to power and you keep lying. I nearly threw out when i heard of the Agric Minister. I always struggle to describe him as old or young man. He is extremely corrupt. If you have created about 745,000 jobs, then Ghanaians should be in heaven by now.