An undiplomatic comment of a British diplomat
Social media was replete with what many regarded as an undiplomatic comment attributed to the British High Commissioner in Accra, Jon Benjamin. He allegedly sent out a tweet which read:
Advertisement
“Oh, that nasty air outside all of a sudden. Did someone inaugurate the Harmattan already?”
Without doubt, Jon mocked President John Mahama for losing the 2016 elections after inaugurating several projects across the country. I would like to sincerely congratulate the Editorial Board of the Daily Graphic on making this undiplomatic comment an editorial issue in the Friday, December 30, 2016 publication. It was a very bold statement to the British High Commission in Accra and to the Downing Street in London. Since then, I have seen or read a disclaimer, retraction or an apology for the tweet.
Jon is not the only British diplomat of recent times caught in making such comments. His counterpart in Brussels, Rogers, was recently forced to resign for making similar comments. The difference is that Jon practised his diplomacy in social media to have ample time to address issues of less diplomatic substance and to expose himself to ridicule and anger of the general public, including political commentators. Of course, that is Jon’s personal occupational hazard for his social media diplomacy, and the forum and audience he chose.
Readers will remember similar comments attributed to the former US Ambassador to Ghana who descended into local politics and mocked the same President Mahama and his appointees in social media. But I don’t think we should blame Jon and his American counterpart. They are employees of their masters who appointed these persons as diplomats to represent their countries. If Jon’s performance is not satisfactory, his masters in London know what to do. When I told a friend of mine who is a lawyer whether he read the tweet in the social media, he angrily retorted:
“My friend, blame those who sent them to Ghana. This is what happens when persons who have little or no experience in their chosen professions, either because they are fresh from school or they have been appointed for the first time, are sent to Ghana to experiment. Is he a Ghanaian political party supporter or a diplomat?”
I told my friend that he may be wrong in his opinion that only fresh graduates and first-time diplomatic appointees make such comments. For instance, Rogers was touted as being a diplomat of considerable experience and was set to play a crucial role in negotiations leading to the exit of UK from the EU. Thus, there may be experienced diplomats who are just reckless in their comments. I must admit that I don’t know Jon’s background and his experience to be able to profile him.
What is certain is that in their haste to pass such undiplomatic comments, some diplomats commit basic grammatical “undiplomatic” mistakes despite their countries of origin or their experience. History is replete with such comments. Some of those comments are excusable. Some are regrettable and disappointing. Some comments are even insulting.
The undiplomatic comment attributed to Jon is insulting. It was an insult to the people of Ghana because an English ‘diplomat’ mocked their president in office. The purpose of the comment was to seriously undermine our democracy. Ghanaians and President Mahama deserve better from the British. If anybody will criticise the President for losing elections and graciously accepting defeat, that person should not be a British, let alone a high-profile British. The British claim they advocate, love and champion democracy. To lose elections and accept defeat is not only gracious, it is godly and democratic. Perhaps, Jon will sing high praises to Dr Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia for making a dramatic U-turn after accepting election result. If Jon made his comments in a different country somewhere else, he would have been summoned or ordered to leave that country within 78 hours. Readers will remember recently President Obama sent away Russian diplomats of Russian unproven interference in the 2016 US elections. The Russian Federation was accused of undermining US democracy. Jon’s comments seriously undermined our democracy. His comments suggested that losing elections and accepting defeat is not democratic, and President Mahama did something undemocratic for accepting defeat in the 2016 elections after inaugurating projects across the country.
Meanwhile, it was reported in the media that the same British High Commission headed by the same Jon alongside the US Embassy, issued press statements few days to the elections warning all presidential candidates to conduct themselves to ensure peaceful elections and to avoid election-related violence. In making his undiplomatic comment, Jon all of sudden forgot that our president conducted himself well by accepting the results of the elections even though he lost in the elections. Diplomatic double standards at play, isn’t it? He approbates and reprobates our elections. Let me remind Jon that for doing what he did, President Mahama is a hero in Africa, and Ghanaians are benefiting from the projects he inaugurated across the country. Leaders are not judged by elections they lost or won but how they conducted themselves after losing or winning elections.
I would recommend that whoever is a President of this country should give a copy of the popular Ananse stories to every diplomat in the beginning or at the end of the diplomat’s career in Ghana. These stories are corpus of diplomacy in the African context.
With a new government in power, there will be several of Jon’s comments from our diplomats and their masters for obvious reasons. Until Western diplomats in Ghana learn the Ananse-way to be diplomatic as African diplomats are in the Downing Street and Washington, we should not rest but keep our eyes very wide open. Of course, they are diplomats!