Osafo-Maafo’s resignation makes it easier for Akufo-Addo – Ben Ephson

Pollster and Managing Editor of the Dispatch, Mr Ben Epshon, has said he is reliably informed that the Senior Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo has resigned from his position.

He said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, January 16 that his resignation makes it easier for the President to take a decision on whether or not to keep him in office.

Mr Ephson told host of the programme Abena Tabi that there was a perception among the general public that Mr Osafo-Maafo interfered with the efforts of the President to fight corruption.

He said the public believed that he was the brain behind the decision to ask the Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo to proceed on leave.

This situation, he said cost President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo some votes in the 2020 general elections.

He explained that the president’s decision to ask Mr Domelevo to proceed on leave raised deep concerns about his willingness to fight graft especially when the Auditor-General was tackling some corruption-related issues at the time he was asked to go home and rest.

“This is the president’s last term, and the NPP has a history of always tearing apart when it comes to selecting flagbearer.

“Presidents in their first term turn to be careful because they will need some of the people along the line for their second term,” he said.

He added “They get into their second and final term and maybe they are at times bolder than in their first term in terms of taking certain decisions

“With regards to Osafo-Maafo, I think that he has made it easier for the President, I am reliably informed that he has tended in his resignation.

“With him, there have been a few issues which have played out in the media. I think that people think that Mr Domelevo being asked to go on leave arose from some of the things that he did.”

Mr Ephson further stated that the President is going to have lot of tricky issues in his second term.

He added “In his last term the president is going to have a few tricky issues. He gives assignment at cabinet level and he will be the best person to judge. For us in the media we will discuss it.

The President “came on the back of fighting corruptions” and so with the “incidence involving Osafo-Maafo, incidence involving Energy, incidence involving Finance Minister, people who voted for President Akufo-Addo in 2016 who did that because of his determination to fight corruption along the line will feel disappointed.

“And so I think for Mr Osafo-Maafo his resignation may make it a bit easier for the president to ask him to leave.”