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Presidency took over printing for kickbacks - Kweku Kwarteng

Ranking Member of the Communications Committee in Parliament, Mr Kweku Kwarteng has alleged that presidential staffers took over the printing of the error-ridden brochure in order to benefit from kickbacks on the cost of the contract.
 
 

“I have no doubt that the motivation for this was for someone to benefit illegitimately from the payment related to it,” he told Accra-based Joy FM.

The ISD had previously been the traditional authors of the Independence brochure. However, the acting Director of the Information Services Department (ISD) revealed on Tuesday that the Communications Bureau of the Presidency approved the error-ridden Independence Day brochure for publication.

RELATED: Flagstaff House approved error-­ ridden brochure - ISD Boss

Mr Kweku Kwarteng has subsequently wondered "Why is it that something that traditionally is done by the Information Services Department (ISD) was now being taken over by politicians and staffers at the presidency? Why did it happen?”

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The official brochure distributed to the Kenyan President and his colleague from Guinea Bissau and their wives, members of the Diplomatic Corps, and many other senior dignitaries from Ghana, was froth with so many mistakes.

RELATED: The President’s own men took away his shine

The errors ranged from  the wrongful designation of Uhuru Kenyatta as Ghana’s President to errors in grammar and spelling.

Many Ghanaians have expressed anger at the incident, adding that it is an embarrassment and a dent on the country's image.

Workers at the ISD on Tuesday denied being the authors of the brochure, and wondered why their Director should take blame.

But responding to the issue in an interaction with staff of ISD, the Acting Director said he issued a statement on behalf of the ISD because the department is the PR machinery of government.

“ISD is the PR of government. And indeed if there was a communication problem where else do you start the damage control if not the PR department," he added.

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