Ghanaian media personality Kwami Sefa Kayi has responded to criticism from his colleague media personality Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah, over alleged silence on pinpointing politicians who are engaged in illegal mining (galamsey).
Okatakyie had initially accused Sefa Kayi of hosting politicians and pundits on his show who are involved in galamsey, stressing that the Peace FM morning show host has failed to mention their names to the public.
In response, Sefa Kayi has also asked Afrifa to mention the people he claims are involved in galamsey activities.
“They are saying someone has taken me to a radio station and accused me that people who are into galamsey come to my show, but I have refused to mention their names.
“Meanwhile, he also couldn’t mention the names of such people. You claim you know people who are into galamsey come on my show, so mention the names. You claim you know them, so mention their names,” he said on his Kokrokoo show in a video shared on YouTube by Smart Ghana Update.
What Okatakyie said
Okatakyie holds that Sefa Kayi made a good call by using his Kokrokoo platform to campaign against the canker, which has devastated some forests and river bodies in the country.
Afrifa-Mensah, however, is unhappy with what he claims to be a display of hypocrisy on the part of Kwami Sefa Kayi, as he believes the host of Peace FM’s morning show is not directing his advocacy where he (Afrifa-Mensah) believes he should.
He alleges that the kingpins in the galamsey sector are regular pundits on Sefa Kayi’s show and that instead of generalizing the issues, Sefa Kayi should be bold enough to call out these persons when they appear on his show.
Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah claims that Sefa Kayi has relationships with some of the powerful persons involved in the menace and that he should mention their names and urge them to stop.
“I have seen the comments by Kwami Sefa Kayi and I believe it's a good call. However, it is high time the senior journalists in this country stop the hypocrisy. I like Kwami Sefa Kayi, but the hypocrisy needs to end.
“All the big names in the galamsey canker appear on his show every morning. He hosts those people every morning. He knows them, so why can’t he tell them to their faces? There are journalists and politicians involved, and he knows them.
“We all respect him, but the hypocrisy must stop. If he knows that galamsey is bad, then he should be honest enough to name the people involved. So when they come on his show, he should tell them. He is friends with all the people involved,” he said on Angel FM.
Okatakyie’s claim comes on the back of Sefa Kayi’s caution that the nation risks raising rebels if the galamsey canker is not stemmed immediately.
AM/BB
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