Minority’s conduct during petition presentation was disrespectful – Samuel Ayeh

Presidential staffer Samuel Ayeh has criticised the Minority’s conduct during the presentation of a petition to the Presidency, describing the incident as disrespectful to the Office of the President.

The controversy arose when Minority Members of Parliament and supporters presented a petition to the Presidency but reportedly declined to hand over the document to Ayeh, insisting that a more senior government official should receive it on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama.

Speaking in an interview on Channel 247 on Thursday, August 20, Ayeh said he had been officially delegated by the Presidency to receive the petition and therefore acted with the full authority of the President’s office.

“I was delegated by the office of the President to receive the petition on behalf of the President of the land,” he said.

Ayeh argued that the decision by the petitioners to refuse to hand over the document to him because they expected a higher-ranking official was inappropriate and undermined the authority of the Presidency.

He described the incident as “retrogressive,” “irresponsible” and “needless,” insisting that anyone officially delegated by the President to receive a petition effectively acts on behalf of the President.

According to him, the official assigned to receive a petition could be a senior government official, a messenger, a technician or any other staff member, depending on the delegation made by the Presidency.

“The point must be made clearly that whoever takes the petition, from the office of the President, the final destination is the President,” he stated.

Ayeh maintained that the focus should have been on ensuring the petition was delivered to the Presidency rather than on the rank of the official designated to receive it.

He explained that regardless of which official receives a petition on behalf of the Presidency, the document ultimately reaches the President for consideration.

He further argued that the disagreement over the reception of the petition should not overshadow the substantive issues raised by the petitioners, urging all stakeholders to prioritise the matters contained in the document rather than the circumstances surrounding its presentation.