The Brong Ahafo Regional branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused Sunyani-based “Sky FM” radio of acting in bad faith when it hosted only Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, NDC Parliamentary Spokesman on Food and Agriculture last Friday despite an agreement to postpone a programme to discuss the NPP’s seven months in government, to ensure equal representation of both parties.
It said the report by the station to “Joy FM” in Accra that the Regional Chairman of the NPP mobilised supporters to lynch Mr Asiedu-Nketiah “is a blatant lie calculated to discredit the party’s reputation as proponents of free speech”.
In a statement in reaction to the report, the NPP Regional Secretary, Mr Anthony Kusi, said neither Mr Kwadwo Yeboah-Fordjour, the regional chairman nor any supporters attacked Mr Asiedu-Nketiah.
Mr Kusi said having agreed to postpone the programme to this Friday, so that representatives of both the Majority and Minority could be available for balanced discussions, the NPP was shocked to hear that the programme had gone ahead with only the NDC present.
“This was a programme that was supposed to discuss the seven months of NPP administration and how could the station go ahead with only one side represented contrary to an agreement we reached with them”.
Mr Kusi said it was perfectly within the rights of the Regional Chairman to have gone to the studios to refute the “blatant lies” Mr Asiedu-Nketiah, who is MP for Wenchi West, was spreading because there was nobody to challenge him.
“Mr Yeboah-Fordjour never stormed the station. He was freely allowed into the studio and introduced by the host to state the government’s side of the matter”.
Mr Kusi said it was the “abusive and intemperate language” used by Mr Asiedu- Nketiah that attracted people to converge at the premises of the station but he was never physically attacked.
“We have been appalled by the way the NDC, with the connivance of Sky FM, has twisted issues to its advantage and we wish to call on the GJA and the National Media Commission to advise media men and houses to respect the ethics of the journalism profession”.
Meanwhile, Mr Kwame Enin Frimpong, News Editor of Sky FM, has stated that the station “does not owe the NPP any apology” as there was nothing wrong in hosting only an NDC representative on the programme.
He said the station also never promised to postpone the programme to this week when the NPP could not send a representative due to the late delivery of the invitation letter.
Mr Frimpong pointed out that it was wrong for the NPP supporters to have attempted to attack Mr Asiedu-Nketiah since he was only a guest, adding that if anything at all, they should have sent the station a protest note.
He said the programme would be continued next Friday and expressed the hope that this time, the NPP would be represented.
GRi../
Source: GhanaWeb
