Tony Aidoo’s attacks against Otabil unfounded- Sam George

A member of the government’s communication team has descended on Dr. Tony Aidoo, Head of Policy and Evaluation Unit at the Presidency, for verbally attacking General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Pastor Mensa Otabil.

Samuel George is of the view that Dr. Aidoo could have ‘spiced up his words’ and still made his point concerning the brouhaha surrounding the man of God’s view on free education.

He has also advised his colleague NDC communicators to discuss the issue objectively and avoid the personality attack.

At a press conference in Accra last week, Pastor Otabil lamented over what he said was the manipulation of his sermons for political expediency, and appealed to President Mahama to call to order, NDC members who are piecing together comments he had made in the past, to create the impression that he is against the proposed free senior high school policy being espoused by Nana Akufo-Addo.

He described the act as “criminal”, “unethical”, “malicious”, “Machiavellian” and above all “evil”.

But Dr. Aidoo, who was obviously unhappy at the renowned Pastor’s remarks, labeled him a coward, a man without integrity, a man whose own theology is replete with internal contradictions.

However, Samuel George avers that Dr. Aidoo’s unsavoury language against Pastor Otabil ‘cannot be the position of President John Dramani Mahama’. To him, since the Director of Communications for the Campaign Team, Hanna Tetteh, has already issued a rebuttal, no member of the government’s machinery should comment further on the issue.

Speaking on Citi FM he said: “I have problems with certain members of the NDC; Dr. Tony Aidoo. I am a member of the NDC and he is a senior member of the NDC, but Dr. Tony Aidoo crossed the line and this is not the first time he has done that. I have much respect for him and the job he does but when it comes to the words he used to describe Pastor Mensa Otabil, I honestly believe that those words does not represent the position of his Excellency John Dramani Mahama…my plea to them (NDC communicators) is that they should hold their horses, tone down and watch the way they go. The man of God crossed the line with the kinds of words that he used but that for me are no justification for the kind of effusions from Dr. Tony Aidoo…”