Presidential aide Dr Samuel Ayeh has responded after the Coalition of Unemployed Graduates with Disabilities declined to present its petition to him, insisting that the document should be received by a senior government official.
Dr Ayeh, who said he was representing President John Mahama in receiving the petition, told the group that he respected its decision not to hand over the document to him.
“If you think that the President has sent me to receive a petition on his behalf and, in your opinion, I’m a nobody, and because of that you will not give me your petition, well, that’s the position you can have and I respect that,” he said.
The development followed the coalition’s refusal to hand over the petition, with its representatives indicating that they wanted it delivered to a senior-most government official.
Dr Ayeh said he was himself a senior member of government at the Office of the President and was present to receive the petition on behalf of the President.
“Just as you have rightfully intimated, you are speaking on behalf of your colleagues, who have resolved that they wish the petition was delivered to a senior-most government official,” he said.
“As I stand here, I’m also a senior member of the government at the Office of the President and I’m standing in for the President.”
He said the group was free to wait until it found an official it considered appropriate to receive the petition.
“You can wait till a point in time where you think you’ve met the right person to deliver, you have that opportunity,” he said.
Dr Ayeh also conveyed the president’s best wishes to the group and acknowledged its presence at the engagement.
“Let me convey the president’s best wishes to you for the opportunity and for coming,” he said.