CPP Condemns Baba Jamal’s “Harmless Joke”

Mr. William Dowokpor, the Communications Director of the Convention People’s Party, has expressed his disappointment about dismissal threats made by a Deputy Information Minister Baba Jamal to Information Services Department (ISD) staff if they fail to exaggerate governments achievements.

In an interview with Xfm’s Abena Asiedua, Mr. Dowokpor said that he was disappointed that after using state resources to finance and manage his political party’s PR outfit, Baba Jamal was still seeking to buy the services of information service officers who have been professionally trained to do PR for the state. He said that it was a deliberate attempt by the government to get the media to do its bidding and condemned the act.

Baba Jamal, had in a tape recording, told staff of the ISD to, among other things, over-exaggerate when disseminating government information to the public.

He said: “Yours is to make government look good, whatever the circumstance. If the government buys sheep and gives it as a gift, you are free to say it is a cow. You are free to say that…If the colour of the sheep is black, you can say it was a white colourful cow.”

Whilst he has confirmed making the statement, Baba Jamal said it was only a “joke” meant to provoke laughter.

Mr. William Dowokpor, however, told Xfm that he does not believe that all Mr. Jamal said was meant to be a joke, adding that Mr. Jamal was using propaganda to cover up what he said during his interaction with the ISD staff.

Notwithstanding this, Mr. Dowokpor is recommending that the National Media Commission boldly comes out and investigate the issue. Propaganda, he said was sustainable, but the truth was sure to come out sooner or later, making reference to what is happening in Britain at the moment.

“Whether you like it or not, the truth would come out. The people of Ghana are not fools,” Mr. Dowokpor added.