Ghana’s former High Commissioner to Namibia and Botswana, Alhaji Haruna Atta has revealed that his relationship with his friend Kwaku Baako is not one that he would describe as cordial.
On July 23, 1998, they became the most famous personalities making headlines both at home and abroad because they had taken on the wife of one of Ghana’s Head of State and later president when they were jailed over some publication they did on former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings.
Alhaji Haruna Atta and Abdul Malik Kweku Baako were sentenced to a 30-day jail term by an Accra High Court as editors of the ‘The Guide and the Statesman’ newspapers respectively.
Commenting on their arrest and jailing, Alhaji Haruna Attah noted that, on reflections over the years, he remains very convinced that their actions then were for the good of society.
Over the years, these two personalities have helped in growing and shaping Ghana’s democracy. In a strange twist of fates, they have found themselves aligned with the two major opposing political parties.
While Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr openly declares his support for the ruling NPP even though he is from a CPP background, his former prison friend ended up with the NDC.
Many political watchers were surprised when he accepted an appointment from former President John Mahama as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Namibia and Botswana particularly when that political tradition was founded on the principles of late president Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, a man he [Haruna] so much fought against when he was in power.
Some years past, the mention of the name Coffee Shop Mafias sent shivers down the spine of many politicians or their associates because it was the perception that, this group of journalists were mercenaries with the sole purpose of making sure their ‘enemy’ the J.J. Rawlings regime will go off the scene.
Going forward, Alhaji Haruna Attah told said that with time he decided to stay away from such places as Coffee Shop when the political impasse between John Dramani Mahama and Nana Akufo-Addo had to settle their difference at the Supreme Court over the 2012 general elections.
The retired journalist refused to answer questions directly on the leadership style of President Akufo-Addo but could say that, compared with the former NDC administration, he believes John Dramani Mahama was a better leader comparing him to the likes of Kwame Nkrumah and Jerry John Rawlings
The former editor of The Statesman and Accra Daily Mail newspapers also spoke about a new book he is currently working on.
Posted by; Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh
