Investigative journalist and author Manasseh Azure Awuni has issued a formal retraction and apology for an error in his recent book, The President Ghana Never Got. The book, which examines the banking crisis during President Akufo-Addo’s administration, contained an incorrect statement involving businessman Ibrahim Mahama.
Awuni’s statement acknowledged the mistake, which misattributed a $28 million debt linked to Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) during its 2013 acquisition. The book incorrectly stated that Mr. Mahama was personally responsible for the debt, when in fact, the debt was owed by his company, Engineers and Planners Company Limited.
“The fact is that the $28 million debt I referenced was owed by his company, Engineers and Planners Company Limited, the legal entity, and not Mr. Mahama personally,” Awuni clarified.
He went on to retract the incorrect reference and offered an apology for any harm caused by the publication. “I sincerely apologize for any adverse effects that may have arisen from this error,” Awuni stated, adding that the mistake was an unintentional “genuine oversight.”
Awuni assured readers that corrective actions are underway, including updates to the online version of the book and future reprints. This response comes after Mr. Ibrahim Mahama’s legal team brought the error to Awuni’s attention, leading the author to take prompt action in correcting the record.
Read full statement from Manasseh Azure Awuni below:
Retraction and apology
Businessman Mr Ibrahim Mahama has, through his lawyers, brought to my attention a fact that needs correction, and I hereby do so unreservedly.
i. In my latest book, “The President Ghana Never Got”, I discussed the banking crisis under the Akufo-Addo administration and how some banks were saved from possible collapse.
ii. In providing a background to the Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) and the circumstances under which its new owners acquired it in 2013, I mentioned the controversy that arose when it emerged that one of the big debtors of the erstwhile Merchant Bank was Mr Mahama.
iii. The fact is that the $28 million debt I referenced was owed by his company, Engineers and Planners Company Limited, the legal entity, and not Mr. Mahama personally.
iv. Consequently, I retract the said reference to Ibrahim Mahama as the debtor and apologise for any adverse effect that may have been occasioned by said publication.
v. It was a genuine oversight, which I am taking immediate steps to correct in the online version of the book and subsequent reprints.
Manasseh Azure Awuni
August 26, 2024
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu
