The Municipal Chief Executive of Ablekuma West, George Nii Kpakpo Allotey, has apologised for the misconduct of his Personal Assistant during the National Sanitation Day exercise on Saturday.
Mr Allotey, who was away on official duty in Akim Oda at the time, said he regretted the incident and offered what he described as an unqualified apology to both residents and journalists who were present.
“I called to apologise to Metro TV for how my Personal Assistant spoke to you. That was not right. He was not supposed to speak at the event. When I am not around, the Municipal Coordinating Director is the one authorised to represent me,” he said in an interview with Metro TV.
He added that he would personally take part in the next National Sanitation Day to avoid a repeat of the situation.
The apology follows an incident in which a Metro TV journalist was reportedly threatened by the MCE’s aide while covering the clean-up exercise.
Witnesses said the reporter was interviewing residents about the MCE’s absence when the aide, who introduced himself as the MCE’s Personal Assistant, intervened. The journalist asked whether the aide had the authority to represent the MCE, a question that reportedly led to an exchange of words and threats.
The confrontation, which was captured on video, has sparked concern about how journalists are treated during public events.
