Host of Oman FM’s Morning Show, ‘National Agenda’ has called on President John Mahama to blame his ministers and other appointees for the seeming black out of the government and its achievements in the media.
President John Dramani Mahama during an interview with the Ovation Magazine expressed worry over what he calls the control of Ghana’s media by a cabal who are blocking his message of transformation.
According to him, a certain group of people have taken control of the Ghanaian media and are blocking his government’s message, a situation which in his view makes it difficult for people to know the truth.
“It is populism, a certain group has taken control of the media in Ghana and it makes it difficult for people to discern the truth. So as much as you are putting out the information, it is either being blocked or distorted,” he said.
This comment has not gone down well with media practitioners in the country who have asked the President to instead blame his ministers who they tag as persons who hardly release needed information to the media.
Commenting on the issue on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen Programme Wednesday, Fiifi Boafo called on the President to blame his appointees.
He was of the opinion that appointees of the government fail to make good use of opportunities given them to trumpet the good works of the government.
He further listed four of such appointees who according to him choose not to give out information about the activities of the government to his station.
These persons, he said include a deputy education minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who was one-time with the Ministry of Information.
He claimed that after drawing his attention to this fact, the minister asked him to send his email address which he did.
“However, after sending it on just one occasion, he never did it again….we called to do follow ups but to no avail…,” he said.
Another ‘guilty’ person, he said is the Communications Minister, Edward Omane Boamah who he said ‘never picks up a call from Oman FM or even responds to texts sent him to respond to issues concerning government’.
“Kwakye Ofosu is a nice person when you talk to him but when it is time to talk on air, he will never respond to his calls…hardly will he pick up a call from Oman FM…,” he said further.
He described Foreign Affairs Minister, Hannah Tetteh as someone who walks into programmes and drives out media houses she thinks are not favourable to the cause of the government.
“Hannah Tetteh during programmes she organizes drives out certain media houses from her programmes, she would just name the media house and ask the reporter to walk out…so how do we trumpet the work of government?,” he quizzed.
To him, the claim of the President was not a true reflection of what pertains in the country as ‘no one has an agenda against the government because we aim at serving our listeners with diverse information but they never pick up.’
Editor of the Herald Newspaper, Larry Dogbe commenting on the same topic said he does not entirely agree with the President.
“President’s comment is not entirely accurate but there are media houses with their own agenda to either say it or not even say it in their own view depending on the glasses they are wearing…,” he said.
He further added that it is never entirely the fault of media practitioners not to propagate the good works of the government as some of the media houses are owned by politicians whom they have to work to please.
“Most of the media houses are owned by politicians and reporters won’t be in their good books if you obviously talk about what they are not comfortable with, you won’t be in their good books and you might be sacked for that…,” he added.
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