Akua Djanie-Manfo, popularly known as Blakofe
Former Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC), Akua Djanie-Manfo, popularly known as Blakofe has joined the conversation surrounding the #FixTheCountry campaign which has been trending on social media for days now.
The former government appointee who has been very consistent with her messages against corruption and the messed up system had something to say to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in a short video she recorded.
She sought to understand, among other things, why her personality was being attacked when she emerged in previous times to criticize the Nana Akufo-Addo-led government over certain decisions when in effect, she only was seeking to help promote growth and progress in Ghana.
According to her, she has campaigned for change for 25 years within which period she had to resign from her position in government because she could not experience the change she had joined the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to campaign for.
Though emphatic about the fact that she saw no point in dwelling on the personality of individuals, she indicated that there was the need to call out President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in this particular conversation because she believes the system is broken on several levels.
In excerpts of her concerns made in the video, she cited instances where she was targeted because of her stance against corruption. She also called on the government to heed the calls for a change through the #FixTheCountry hashtag and called on President Akufo-Addo to work on the crux of the issues being raised to change the narrative under his government.
Below are excerpts of her submission in the video:
“President Akufo-Addo, I did my Year of Return, I decided to do my Sankofa back to Ghana…. I joined your team for change because I had spoken during Kufour’s era, I had spoken in Mahama’s era and I went further to campaign for change.
“After campaigning for change, I was honoured and given the chance to serve my country, unfortunately, I had to leave because I wasn’t given the chance to work for change. So today I’m saying, #FixTheCountry.
“It’s not against you personally, it’s something I’ve been saying since 1995 so why is it that all of a sudden if Blakofe is saying something she is saying since 1995, it is against the NPP because she resigned?
“President Akufo-Addo, really? You yourself were for change and that is why you did your first campaign. I have always been for change, I have always spoken against corruption, so why is it today against you if I speak against it under the NPP government.
“In all my 25 years of saying we should fix the country, I have never attacked anyone’s personality, I don’t do that…..I’m not perfect but I’m ethical, honest, and you can’t work with me and be corrupt, it’s not my style.
“You know I was telling certain people that I wasn’t getting the support I needed to work so I had to leave because for me when I campaigned for change, I wanted to change what Kufour did, I wanted to change what Mahama did, I didn’t want to change the party k3k3, I wanted to change the system.
Citing an instance where she was frustrated by the police service in her bid to get her property back legally, she said all means to get the right thing done, it rather attracted direct attacks because she refused to pay bribe.
“I have fixed myself…” the reason they could do that is that the head of police is not fixed, the head of police is not fixed because the president is not fixed. If the president is not fixed, then nothing else will be fixed. Mr. President, until you are known to be firm on corruption, nothing will work.
“Appointees in Rwanda and Tanzania are not corrupt because of the personality of Kagame and Magufuli (late). If you are corrupt, you are sacked.
“I’m fixed, I’m not perfect but I’m fixed enough to serve my country in an honest capacity to bring results. But that’s not what you want so with all due respect Mr. President, don’t tell us to fix ourselves because some of us are already fixed and we were ready to fight for Ghana but you didn’t want that Mr. President. I don’t attack people’s personality, I never have but forgive me for going that path today, but it had to be done.”