CPP condemns government's intimidation

Accra, April 29, GNA- The Convention People's Party (CPP), on Tuesday, condemned in no uncertain terms, the government's intimidation of Metro TV not to re-broadcast its "Good Evening Ghana" programme, as the station always does.

"We view this as an unwarranted interference by the state in private media and a contravention of the 1992 constitution. If our democracy is to thrive, the government should refrain from such blatant intimidation and interference in media work."

The CPP said it noted with grave concern the menacing and unprofessional behaviour of the Minister of Trade, Industry, Presidential Special Initiatives and Private Sector Development, Mr Joe Baidoo-Ansah towards the CPP's spokesperson on the economy, Dr. Nii Moi Thompson.

"We consider the Minister's public outburst on live television on April 24, 2008 against Dr Thompson, who was discussing legitimate national issues, as unwarranted, a threat to freedom of speech (the bedrock of our democracy) and an embarrassment to the public office that the Minister holds in the name of all Ghanaians."

The CPP, which expressed its sentiment in a statement signed by Ladi Nylander, Chairman and Leader said, the Minister's tantrums, which were broadcast to millions of viewers outside of Ghana as well, were serious because he was not even an invited guest on the programme; he trespassed upon the set and in effect promoted lawlessness at the highest level of governance.

This unfortunate behaviour by our Minister was at variance with the NPP government's constant proclamations of "good governance" and the "rule of law."

"We therefore call upon the Minister to do the honourable thing and apologise to Dr. Thompson, Metro TV, the other two invited panellists (including an official of UNCTAD), and the people of Ghana for behaving in a manner that needlessly threatened and unsettled others while bringing Ghana's good name into disrepute".

"If he fails to do that, we would urge the President to terminate his appointment before he does an even greater harm to Ghana, possibly at an international forum, when it would be too late to salvage the image of the country.

For the records, it must be stated that the issues raised by Dr. Thompson, and which appeared to have angered the Minister, are nothing new to Ghanaians or the world at large.

The statement said Ghana's excessive dependence on donors for its budget and the recent controversy over the purchase of the presidential jets have been discussed extensively at home and abroad. Indeed, these discussions can easily be accessed on the internet.

It said, in comparing the proposal to purchase the presidential jets to the fact that 63.0 per cent of Ghana's 2008 agricultural budget would come from donors, Dr. Thompson was simply stating what the public already knows - at home and abroad.

Indeed, the president himself has spoken time and again about the need for us to reduce our dependence on donors and set our priorities right. A nation that cannot feed itself cannot expect to be respected by anyone, the statement concluded.