Information filtering into the office of The Al-Hajj indicates that the opposition New Patriotic Party, out of intense resentment for two of its unmitigated senior journalists, have decided to ‘disown’ them and throw mud at them for their association with the Mahama administration.
The sins of these two senior journalists; Managing Editor of New Crusading Guide, Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako and Metro Tv’s Good Morning Ghana host, Randy Abbey; is that since the ascension of President John Dramani Mahama to the presidency, they have almost ceased to cooperate with the NPP; instead, they are defending the John Mahama-led administration on every serious national issue that could have been used to nail the government.
As a stiff punishment for the duo who were instrumental in the era of former President Kufuor’s administration for their sudden and obscene disloyalty, the NPP according to our source, has hatched plans to embark on inexorable and remorseless smear campaign aimed at diminishing their impact and significance on the political and media landscape.
The NPP functionaries are accusing Randy Abbey, who until recently, was a known and unrepentant critic of the late Professor Mills and the NDC, of using his privileged position as a friend to the first family to “work on” Kweku Baako, an unapologetic disciple of the elephant family, drawing him into the league of senior journalists in the “kitchen cabinet” of the government.
At a recent meeting of key officials of the NPP on how to “handle” the duo whose association with the Kufuor government made them proud members of the now defunct “coffee shop mafia,” it was agreed that all crude means must be employed to make Randy Abbey and Kwaku Baako irrelevant starting next year January. A source close to the meeting, but was against the diabolic plan told this paper.
“The plan is that we start using some faceless persons to start planting stories in pro-government papers about Randy Abbey and Kweku Baako’s dealings with the NDC government and also get some of them to give it prominence on social media with the intention of portraying them as stomach journalists that Ghanaians should not take serious when they speak,” the source revealed.
This, the source said, would be done with the hope that NPP communicators and serial callers would also start dropping their names on any media platforms they find themselves, linking them directly to President John Mahama and alleged corrupt practices.
“If you have been observant, you would realize that since Mahama became President, Randy Abbey who was with us when we dealt with President Mills, suddenly abandoned us and became a chief operating officer at Mahama's residence, and as for Kweku Baako, though he still defends the party on some issues, he has been against us on almost all the corruption allegations we raised against the Mahama government…his stance on the rot at GYEEDA, Subah Infosolution, Merchant Bank/Fortiz deal and others tells it all,” the source added.
As part of the plan, and to also shut down the perceived NPP “party spoilers” completely, the NPP is said to have also planned to recruit gorgeous and smart looking young ladies well and naturally endowed at the “front and back” to explore ways of attracting the attention of Randy and Baako and in the process seduce them to bed for the purpose of secretly recording it as part of the image denting agenda.
As a herald to this diabolic plot which was expected to remain a secret among leading functionaries of the NPP, okro mouth and loose talker, Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah, who could not zip his mouth, on Tuesday afternoon virtually gave out the plot on Accra based radio station, Montie Fm's political talk show, “Pampaso” hosted by Mugabe Masse.
Speaking on the show, the former Asokwa Member of Parliament purposefully demanded from the Good Morning Ghana show host who was not part of the discussions “to come clear on his association with his onetime darling NPP,” warning President Mahama to be wary of “self-seeking” journalists.
Even before this plan was activated, the NPP ever since President Mahama took office, had accused three senior Journalist, Managing Editor of the Dispatch Newspaper, Mr Ben Ephson; Managing Editor of Gye Nyame Concord, Alfred Ogbamey and Managing Editor of the Accra Mail, Alhaji Haruna Attah, of doing the bidding of the government.
It is of public knowledge that during the NPP’s eight years in government, some senior journalists in the country with close affinity to the then government behaved like guard dogs of the administration. But John Mahama’s inter-personal relations with most media houses, especially the senior journalists even before he became president; most of them have developed a soft spot for his administration compared to how his predecessor and mentor, the late President Mills was treated.
This ‘nice’ treatment of President Mahama, himself a seasoned communicator who never ceased to attend social functions of media practitioners when he was MP, Minister of Communications and even vice-president, is said to have baffled NPP functionaries that they believed the senior journalists have been induced with huge monies, plush houses and other juicy offers.
Already, Randy Abbey who almost stood as NPP’s Parliamentary Candidate in the Okaikoi North constituency in the 2008 elections has been accused by some NDC members of micro-managing affairs at the home of President Mahama whose party he aided in wreaking havoc to.
On the other hand, Kweku Baako, an unadulterated and virulent critic of the NDC due to his differences with former President Rawlings whom he started the June 4 uprising with, has also been accused of flirting with the Mahama administration to the neglect of the NPP with his recent ‘objective’ analysis on issues like the GYEEDA scandal, Subah Infosolution, Merchant Bank/Fortiz deal among others.
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