Meet the press encounters useless; must be cancelled - Gyampo

A Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo has given a very negative assessment of the President's encounter with the media.

According to him, journalists who have had the opportunity to ask questions at these encounters have not been asking any relevant questions over the years for which reason the program must be cancelled.

Journalists have, since the time of former President J.A. Kufuor, met sitting presidents at periodic encounters to ask questions about their stewardship. President Akufo-Addo had his second media encounter yesterday Wednesday, January 18, since he was sworn into office.

Assessing today's encounter in an interview with Asempa FM's Ekosii Sen which was monitored by YEN.com.gh, Prof. Gyampo noted that journalists failed to ask any "thought provoking questions" and rendered the whole exercise 'useless'.

"President Kufuor institutionalised these encounters to enhance political accountability and deepen democracy but it looks like journalists have failed to take advantage of the opportunity to probe Presidents over thee years but have rather used it to sing their praises", he said.

Prof. Gyampo wondered why journalists given such a rare opportunity would ask questions regarding the 2012 election petition while ignoring socio-economic issues disturbing the larger population.

"If for nothing at all, you should be asking questions about what the Akufo-Addo government was doing about the constitutional review process which started in 2010", he said.

For him, with such abysmal performance from journalists it would be better for the President to directly solicit the views of the ordinary citizens. Going forward, he suggested he suggested that, "it would be better to go to the market women [because] they know the real problems they are facing".