Vice Presdient Paa Kwasi Amissah Arhtur
Circumstances surrounding the relocation of Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur from his State House base to the Flagstaff House where he would be perching till January have been marred by inconsistent communications by Presidential Spokesperson John Jinapor.
Vice President Amissah-Arthur was conducted round the white elephant by Commodore Steve Obimpeh (rtd), senior presidential advisor and chairman of the committee set up by President John Mahama to oversee the movement of the presidency from the Castle to the Flagstaff House.
He expressed satisfaction with his new office after it undertook a study at the facility.
He was hopeful he would be joined by President Mahama in February, 2013.
He was hopeful he would be joined by President Mahama in February, 2013.
It is unclear what recommendation was used as a basis for the relocation of the Vice President on Monday morning because last Thursday, DAILY GUIDE spoke to Mr Jinapor about hints of a possible movement of the Vice President Amissah-Arthur to the Flagstaff House this week.
He gingerly confirmed the information, saying, “I think it is true” even though he noted that he needed to get official confirmation from his boss.
By Saturday morning, in an interview on Joy FM, Mr. Jinapor was heard dismissing the veracity of the information, saying it was a false alarm because the committee tasked to advise the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the relocation had not yet presented its report.
Apparently, the committee had presented its report to the President last Wednesday- three clear days before Mr. Jinapor’s Saturday rebuttal.
Commodore Obimpeh told DAILY GUIDE in a telephone conversation yesterday, “The report was presented on Wednesday.”
When pressed to comment on why Mr Jinapor would dismiss the report, the retired naval officer and one-time Minister of Food and Agriculture said, “He [John Jinapor] wouldn’t be aware because he is not the convener.”
At the time DAILY GUIDE spoke to him, he claimed he was with the president and would get the confirmation, after which he said it was true but dismissed the story on Saturday.
Plot Thickens
DAILY GUIDE sources indicated that long before the Obimpeh report was presented to the presidency, it appeared the presidency had already made up its mind to move in phases to the Flagstaff House.
Official memoranda have been flying all over the Castle, detailing elaborate preparations about the planned relocation.
These preparations preempting the Obimpeh recommendations included protocol and security arrangements.
There are conflicting signals about the relocations while John Jinapor’s Saturday submission on radio and the subsequent relocation on Monday gave an impression of a hurried movement of the Vice President.
Information indicates that for months, the presidency had indeed settled on a decision to move to the Flagstaff House.
The presidential spokesman hinted that President Mahama was bracing himself to occupy the Jubilee House at an unknown date.
“The ultimate aim is that we should use the Jubilee House, so if the Vice President is going there, it is good. At the appropriate time, the president too will move there.”
DAILY GUIDE has learnt that President Mahama is lamenting that he is not happy passing by the final resting place of his former boss, Prof. Atta Mills, and therefore he would want a speedy end to that ordeal by moving to the Flagstaff House.
In August, the President set up a committee to advise him whether or not to move into the Jubilee House.
This is against the backdrop of intense opposition of the ruling NDC to the idea of occupying the Flagstaff House which it believed was wastefully constructed by the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration led by John Agyekum Kufour.
The NDC contended that the over $80 million used to construct the imposing property was scandalous.
Some presidential advisors, including national security advisor Brig-Gen. Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, hade severally kicked against the use of the facility, preferring the head of state to use the Castle, citing security threats.
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