Media mustn't plunge Ghana into violence 2016 – Rev. Asante

The chairman of the National Peace Council, Most Rev. Professor Emmanuel Asante has cautioned the media to be extremely circumspect in their reportage as the country heads for crucial general elections in 2016.

According to the outgone Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, even though the media has played a key role in the development of the nation it can easily plunge the country into chaos with unguarded comments ahead of the elections.

“Because of the power that the media has, the media has to be very careful in terms of what they churn out…ensure that what you are putting out there is nothing but the truth and that you are in a position to defend it,” Rev. Prof. Asante told host of Morning Starr Nii Arday Clegg Monday.

He added: “I would want to advise the media to be very careful, let’s think about what happened in Rwanda even in La Cote D’Ivoire that from the studio you can set the whole nation ablaze.

“So I would want to say to the media that you have a role to play in the promotion of Ghana’s democracy and let us be circumspect in the kind of things that we say.”

Rev. Prof. Asante also revealed several malicious statements have been made against him since he assumed the position of chairman of the peace council.

"You would not believe that by the simple fact that I became the chairman of the national peace council, people had the audacity to say all sorts of things [against me]…and you find some people sitting in some studios saying all sort of things".

Ghana heads for elections in 2016 with NDC’s John Dramani Mahama coming up against NPP’s Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and PNC’s Edward Mahama.