For once government has responded to immense public fury like it actually counts, and not something to be blatantly ignored.
The Acting head of the Information Services Department, Francis Kwarteng Arthur, has been sacked following the Independence Day brochure debacle. A statement from government Thursday relieved the bungling ISD head of his duties.
“Mr Francis Kwarteng Arthur has been relieved of his duties as acting Director of the Information Services Department,” the statement, signed by Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah said.
Mr Arthur had presided over a gaffe of massive proportions, when the brochures distributed during the celebration of Ghana’s 59th Independence day contained innumerable instances of factual errors, terrible grammar, and simply unintelligible sentences.
Ghanaians were enormously embarrassed, as the story took on an International dimension following Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta being noted on the document as President of Ghana.
Even the apology to be given to Ghanaians was bungled, as Kwarteng Arthur released a statement blaming the entirety of ISD for the error, forcing workers to come out strongly, saying they knew nothing about it. And they didn’t, Kwarteng Arthur had to issue another apology accepting personal responsibility.
I have to say one more thing, we might think this is laudable, but let’s wait and see the next job this guy would be given. This sacking might just turn out to be largely cosmetic.