Debate Over President's "Secret" Private Visit

President Kufuor is expected back in Accra on Thursday after a 6-day private visit to relax in Morocco. But news of the visit has sparked off yet another round of debate over the President’s movements and why they are not publicly announced.

The visit to Morocco was mere speculation in the media and political circles until the Arab news website ‘Arabnews.com’ reported that President Kufuor arrived last Friday in Morocco and headed for an Atlas Mountain Resort for a private stay.

According to subsequent Moroccan media reports, the President was received this Tuesday in the Tetouan royal palace of the Moroccan King Mohammed VI. Foreign Minister, Nana Akuffo Addo confirmed the President’s private visit on JOY FM’s Super Morning Show.

But the news sparked off a debate again about the President’s trips abroad, which is currently thought to be more than 40 in two and a half years. The debate this time is on two counts. First - whether or not he should be making a private trip abroad in the face of prevailing harsh economic conditions.

Secondly - there are questions over why the public was not informed about the visit to Morocco as is usually the practice.

But when Presidential Spokesperson Kwabena Agyepong was interviewed on JOY FM, he took a swipe at the press for publicizing the visit. “There is nothing untoward about this, so I don’t understand the fuss about this”.

Kwabena Agyepong admitted that it is his duty to inform the public about the President’s whereabouts, but said he did not issue a statement on the rip to Morocco because he found it unnecessary. “It is my duty to put out statements but I did not consider it a media event … Our constitution says that the President will have to inform the Speaker when he is leaving the country. The Speaker then informs the house but since the house is not sitting he couldn’t have briefed them”.

The Presidential Spokesperson also chose to shift blame on the current controversy onto the Special Assistant to the former President, Victor Smith, who he said commented on the President’s whereabouts on a radio station.