Award-winning Ghanaian broadcast journalist and author Manasseh Azure Awuni has shared insights into his tumultuous journey as an investigative journalist under the tenure of President Akufo-Addo.
This comes amidst his preparation to launch his latest book, "The President Ghana Never Got," on Thursday, August 8.
Mr Awuni recounted the numerous challenges he faced, including threats to his life and the need for police protection.
“I’ve personally encountered a lot of woes. If you look at the ‘fictional Agyapadie’ document, you’ll find my name in that document. I have not had it easy in this administration.
“I had to go to South Africa in 2019. In 2020, I had to go to Germany. All these because of death threats,” he revealed.
Making more revelations on JoyNews’ AM Show on Wednesday, Mr Awuni said between 2019 to 2021, he had to drive with police protection due to the severity of the threats.
According to him, the intense pressure also took a toll on his mental health, leading him to seek therapy from a clinical psychologist.
Mr Awuni further noted that his book delves into his efforts to interact with President Akufo-Addo about his predicament.
“Sometimes you find people asking, ‘Does the President even know what is happening behind the scenes?’ I had a personal experience where I had to take a step to let people within the Presidency know.
“At a point when I felt that the message might not be getting to the President, I booked an appointment with his wife,” he recounted.
According to him, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo was surprised that he was using her as a conduit, given his direct access to the President through other channels.
“I replied, ‘Well, it is true, but for ABC reasons, I should let you know.’ So these are some of the things that have happened within the period that the average person may not know how these interactions happened and whether or not the highest official of our country is privy to some of the things that happened,” he explained.
“The President Ghana Never Got” is a 400-paged and 40-chaptered book on the reign of President Akufo-Addo.
Announcing the launch of the book, the journalist said it has “revealing and riveting content, which some may find explosive”.
It would be launched on August 8, 2024, at the Christ the King Parish Hall, Opposite Jubilee House.
This book is his latest project on successive governments. In 2016, when the country’s former President, John Dramani Mahama was preparing to leave office, Manasseh released a book on him titled “The Fourth John: Reign, Rejection & Rebound”.
Similarly, the "The President Ghana Never Got" book promises to be a compelling read, offering nuances that influenced certain decisions of the current administration.
Credit: Ama Cromwell
