Alhassan Suhuyini accuses media of hypocrisy

The Member of Parliament for Tamale North constituency, Alhassan Suhuyini, has suggested the media is being hypocritical in the wake of some achievements the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is purporting to have chalked within hundred days of assumption of office.

According to Mr. Suhuyini, the medias appear to be making no efforts to cross-check claims by the NPP adding, that the posture of journalists would not have been the same if the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had made similar claims while they were in power.

The Akufo Addo led-government said it chalked 103 achievements in its first 100 days in office which fell on Monday, April 17.

Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia who outlined the achievements in various sectors mentioned that the country had imported 300,000 metric tonnes of fertilizers which is higher than any annual import since 2007 adding, that prices of fertilizers have been reduced by 50%.

Dr. Bawumia while listing the government’s achievements in health said, there has been a reduction in the cost of nursing training admission forms from Ghs 160 to Ghs 100. This, he said, will cover all processes leading to admission.

But Suhuyini in a Facebook post seemed unhappy about how the media has handled the issue.

“If the NDC in power claimed that they reduced fertiliser prices by 50% from Ghc 85 to Ghc 58 our media colleaques would not have waited for the NPP to expose it as inaccurate. They would have done the mathematics and exposed the substandard calculation.

“If the NDC claimed that they reduced prices of forms to training institutions from 160 to 100 Ghc, the media would not have waited for the NDC to expose it as untrue. Our media chaps would have sought and published the receipts for 2016 admission forms to expose the untruth.

“If the NDC claimed that they ensured the resumption of Air France operations in 100 days in office, the media would have checked at the air France website to highlight that the airline in 2016 announced that they will resume flights to Ghana in February 2017. They would not have waited for the NPP to expose the lies in the claims,” his post read.

Touching on government’s announcement that it has been successful in the auction of a total of 2.25 billion dollars in four bonds, Suhuyini questioned why the media was silent until the minority raised concerns.

“Now just imagine If Seth Terkper( finance minister) was JMs cousin and he sold Ghana bonds to companies he(Terkper), his wife and best friend had/have interest in. Would it have been left to the NPP to scream about? Especially if you realized the Attorney General Marrietta Brew/Mahama( Gloria Akufo) also once worked in the company the purchaser of the unadvertised bond is board chairman.

"Also imagine Koku Anyidoho (Nana Obiri BOAHENE) from party headquarters and Fiifi Kwetey( Ken agyapong) from Parliament supported the actions of the Delta, invisible etc forces in the face of condemnations of the vigilante groups by even Prof Mills or JM from the presidency. Would your reaction now, have been the same?

"Finally imagine if the NDC in 100 days boasted of initiatives intended to be implemented in September as achievements in their 100 days,” other portions of his post read.



The Minority in Parliament is calling for a full-scale parliamentary inquiry into an allegation of conflict of interest levelled against the Minister of Finance concerning the recent $2.25 billion domestic bond issued by the government.

It is the case of the Minority that Mr Ken Ofori-Atta cooked the bond for his friends and cronies, as well as breached Article 181(5) of the 1992 Constitution which requires international transactions to be approved by Parliament.

Meanwhile, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Ms Gloria Afua Akuffo, has denied allegations of conflict of interest levelled against her by the Minority in connection with the issuance of the bond reports.

Reacting to the Minority’s press conference in an interview with the Daily Graphic, Ms Akuffo said she served on the Enterprise Life Board but she resigned after she was appointed the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.



Additional files from graphic.com.gh