Mrs Akufo-Addo's salary rejection letter carried an angry tone - Kwakye Ofosu explains

• The NDC's Felix Kwakye Ofosu says the First Lady's letter to return monies paid her is problematic

• He explained that criticisms from the people should have been handled more maturely by the First Lady

• He added that the letter appears to be one written in anger



Read full articlehref='/GhanaHomePage/people/person.php?ID=3649'>Felix Kwakye Ofosu of the National Democratic Congress has said that it is problematic the manner in which a recent letter from the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, was written.

The First Lady, following public outcry, wrote to say that she was no longer interested in receiving monies that had been recommended by the Prof. Yaa Ntiamoa-Badu Committee to her and the Second Lady, in official capacities.

Since then, she has fulfilled her promise, making payment of the over GHs899,000 she is said to have been paid since 2017, when she became First Lady, a new letter from her office has said.

But, that has not been enough for the former Deputy Minister of Communications, as he believes that the tone and timing of the letter from the office of the First Lady rather smacks of her anger at how things have been.

He explained, on Metro TV's Good Morning Ghana, that there is a reason people in public office are criticized by the people they are representing and she should have been more patient in analyzing the criticisms than reacting in such a way.

"I find the tone and tenure of this statement she has issued as rather problematic. All those who are privileged to find themselves within the public space, especially those within the public office, or those who by virtue of their position, are in the public limelight, have a duty to show sensitivity and respect to the people in whose name they occupy those positions.

"So, the public has the right to violently criticize their leaders if they are dissatisfied with actions or inactions on their part. Therefore, if you happen to be the subject of such criticism, your duty is to first assess what is being said.

"See whether there is anything that can be done to assuage those sentiments and convey your actions in a manner that is respectful and satisfactory to the people expressing those sentiments," he said.

He added that the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, issued the responses in a way that appears that she is throwing tantrums at the very people she is representing, just because they criticized her.

"And shockingly, it does not appear that the First Lady has expressed this in this communication. It's like she's throwing tantrums and thumping and those things in faces of those who are criticizing her.

"This should not be the case. Indeed, this letter suggests that she's doing this out of anger, rather than an appreciation of the point that the people of Ghana are making," he said.