Amissah Arthur Saved Prof. Jane Naana’s Job When Mahama Wanted To Sack Her As Minister – Manasseh Azure Reveals
Renowned Investigative Journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, in his book “The Fourth John: Reign, Rejection and Rebound, has revealed that it took the intervention of the late vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah Arthur to prevent then president John Mahama from sacking Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang as Minister of Education.
Read Excerpts of the book below:
The relationship between the Mahamas and the Amissah- Arthurs began with a visit by Baba Kamara and someone Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur does not remember. But she remembers the message they brought and how that message was received. The two came with news that would change the status of the Amissah-Arthurs forever and thrust them into an arena they had neither thought about nor prepared for.
Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur was mourning the man who had appointed him to head the Bank of Ghana in October 2009. It was in the last week of July 2012 when the two visitors came to his house.
They had been sent by President Mahama to tell him that he (President Mahama) wanted Mr. Amissah-Arthur to be his vice president. Without much difficulty in making up his mind, he told them to tell President Mahama that he was grateful to have been considered worthy for the position, but he was not interested. The two went away. But that would not be their last visit. They came back again, with the same message, this time with a more elaborate explanation as to why he was best suited for the role and why he should not say no to serving his nation and his party.
The relationship between the Mahamas and the Amissah- Arthurs was one of mutual respect. The Amissah-Arthurs were older than the Mahamas, but they deferred to them on account of the positions they held. The Mahamas also respected them. Lordina Mahama addressed Matilda Amissah-Arthur as “Auntie Matilda”, as a sign of respect. President Mahama sometimes sent people to Vice President Amissah-Arthur on certain important matters. It was a sign of respect, but Mr. Amissah-Arthur felt uncomfortable. He would have preferred a more relaxed atmosphere between them.
Despite the reciprocity of cordialities and respect, there were issues. The vice president, like his predecessors, had instances when he felt sidelined. There were occasions Mr. Amissah-Arthur heard about ministerial reshuffles in the media, like everyone else. On one occasion, he heard about the (leaked) list when it was broadcast in the media and went to enquire from the president, and when it was confirmed, he made inputs. His intervention, according to sources, saved the Minister for Education, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyeman her job”.