Mahama wrong on NDC media focus comment – Kweku Baako

Former President John Dramani Mahama was wrong regarding his comments that devious media were paying excessive attention to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) even after the conduct of the 2016 elections, Kweku Baako, Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, has said.

At a meeting with his former appointees on 28 March, Mr Mahama wondered why the media never gave his government that much attention ahead of the 2016 general elections but have suddenly chosen to do so now that the party is in opposition.

According to him, there is something sinister about the sudden attention given to the NDC by the media vis-à-vis the 2020 general elections and the leadership of the party, which Mr Mahama suspects is geared towards fanning division in the party while the government of the day is let off the hook.

“It shouldn’t be about the NDC,” Mr Mahama said, wondering: “Why is the media so anxious to give us so much airtime today? Before the elections they didn’t come chasing you to ask you what you think. All the airtime was going to our opponents. Then all of a sudden, the primetime morning shows are looking for NDC people and saying: ‘What’s your comment about what’s happening in your party?’ And it’s about the NDC today. Why should it be about the NDC?

“The Democrats, who is talking about the Democrats in America? It’s about Trump and the new administration, they are collecting people’s taxes, they should be…the focus of media attention. Why is the NDC the focus of media attention at this time?

“It just shows that there is a certain deviousness to try and make this about the NDC and not about who is in government and how they are fulfilling their promises. And unfortunately, we are falling into the trap, we are all lining up to be interviewed and the point is you might say something harmless but all they are looking for is one word and once they pick it, they put their own interpretation to it…”

Speaking on this matter on Multi TV’s Newsfile on Saturday April 15, Mr Baako said: “Which media is he talking about? And which media was also focusing on Akufo-Addo when he was an opposition leader? The NPP in opposition, Nana Akufo-Addo as an opposition leader, no media touched him? I think he [Akufo-Addo] had an excessive outpouring of media attacks on his integrity and character, we haven’t seen it yet relative to Mr Mahama. He just got it wrong.

“Which media? We have a plural media and each media house sets its own agenda, but in any case more often than not they are mirroring the reality. Are NDC big men talking or they are silent? Are some NDC activists attacking the Kwesi Botchwey committee or not? And they are expecting us to adopt a code of silence on that?

“He [Mahama] hasn’t seen any criticism of this government? This Delta Force and Invincible Forces, is the media not on them? The media is constantly on the Akufo-Addo administration, they are talking the positives as well as exposing the negatives, consistently. And so President Mahama got it wrong, simple as that.”