Why Graphic MD Resigned

The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG) award-winning Graphic Communications Managing Director, Mohammed Awal, has resigned, citing the pursuit of new priorities outside the media as reason for his action. A National Media Commission (NMC) source, speaking to DAILY GUIDE off record, said the correspondence from the MD was delivered last week Friday. The source said the 49-year-old man mentioned the aforementioned reason as being the main cause for his decision in the letter. A portion of the correspondence reads, “I have new priorities. My priorities have changed from the media. I need to resign…” Sources at Graphic Communications suggest that Awal, the gentleman who started his career at Daily Graphic as a reporter, would be hosting a durbar of workers tomorrow to formally inform his colleagues about his unfolding transition. Awal’s resignation took many by surprise, especially at the NMC, employers of Chief Executive Officers of state media establishments such as Graphic, New Times, GNA and GBC, given the fact that he has spent just two and half years out of his six-year contract. CEOs of state media establishments engaged during the tenure of President John Agyekum Kufuor have not been spared the undercurrent of National Democratic Congress elements who perceive them as not belonging to the ruling party and should therefore be showed the exit. At the New Times Corporation, the MD also engaged during the tenure of Kufuor is suffering the dirty manouvres from political elements, as his internal correspondences are secretly photocopied and sent to the Castle, DAILY GUIDE has learnt from reliable sources. Graphic Communications has been awash with such manouvres lately, especially prior to the renewal of the contract of the Daily Graphic editor, Ransford Tetteh- another official tagged pro-NPP. Sources close to the Graphic MD told Daily Guide, after efforts to get him failed, that he was in high spirits and not surprised at the slant being given to his resignation because, according to them, resignation was alien to the Ghanaian culture. Daily Guide can confirm that the Graphic MD is venturing into private business, evidence of which, a bird whispered, could be linked to his recent trips abroad. His tenure has been described by a staffer of the communication group as the golden age in the life of this state media establishment. An accounts department employee who also spoke to Daily Guide on anonymity noted that “the group has made a profit of ¢122 billion between January and September this year, as against ¢100 billion last year, credit which the gentleman can savour.” Information gathered suggests that the group is on the verge of acquiring the biggest printing press in West Africa, towards which ¢47 billion has already been paid to the manufacturers in Germany. Some of his friends within Graphic Communication Group have questioned the integrity of the story being bandied around that Awal was under investigations, asking rhetorically, “How could a man being probed be commended by the board chairman for excellent performance? And if we may ask, which court? This is outright balderdash.” It has been established that the salary of the MD, which was the subject of negative stories in pro-NDC newspapers, is the outcome of negotiations between the board, the NMC and the MD and certainly not an arbitrary action. Awal started his working life with Graphic as a reporter and rose through the ranks to become an Advertisement Manager, General Manager and now MD.