One sided journalist, get your facts right before you talk - Titus Glover clashes with Roland Walker

A former member of parliament for Tema East, Titus Glover, has criticized Roland Walker of TV3 for being an unbalanced journalist who speaks without facts making him a one-sided journalist.

He said this during an argument between the two of them which was generated on the controversial Keta Seaport project on TV3 News Day when the politician appeared on the show.

Roland Walker mentioned that the government was spending money on the Keta Port project while showing video footage of the site where the project was to be built without any actual development.

He further revealed that despite the project being non-existent, the director, as well as staff, are being paid monthly by the government.

This did not sit well with the former member of parliament for Tema East who accused Roland of perpetrating lies against the government. He also accused the renowned journalist of inciting the people of Keta against the government of Ghana and portraying the administration in the public as fraudulent.

Mr Glover urged Roland to gather the right information before making comments and be a neutral journalist rather than a journalist with a biased perspective.

For the past few years, the Ghanaian government has been working to see that a port at Keta is built. This procedure includes appointing a director for the proposed port and signing an executive instrument that demarcates the facility's intended location.

Below are excerpts of the argument that ensued between the two

Roland: …I don’t know why Mr. Titus Glover is trying to justify some of these. He is a stakeholder in the industry so, I’m wondering maybe because he is in government so he is trying ...

Titus: Did you say I’m justifying ...

Roland: You’re justifying that is what you’re doing

Titus: no no no no

Roland: Because you’re telling me, I should see reason, I should see sense, sense. You’re telling me this is the Keta port and me that I go there every time, Keta Ayanyri, Gita, myself and Johnnie Hughes we’re always on that road...

Titus: Look...

Roland: Because we go to Eli Beach resort because we’re always stressed in Accra, Eli beach resort we’re always there

Titus: This is a land that has been acquired for the port...

Roland: You only see sign board, the man is drawing salary, other people on his payroll are drawing salary that is a concern. These are some of the things they say you should do to reduce the wage bill, wage bill you see you you’re talking fine.

Titus: Can I come in please

Roland: You continue continue

Titus: You see when you put a picture like this, you’re not helping the conversation.

Roland: No we’re helping the conversation

Titus: You’re not helping the conversation because, you’re only showing the land.

Roland: Keta port the place is empty

Titus: You listen, you don’t just get up and put things like this

Roland: How many years, aaarh this be captain smart

Titus: Why you don’t want me to talk? Why are you behaving like this?

Roland: What have I done?

Titus: Yes, you have made whatever mischief you want to do, and I’m saying that in as much as you have showed this have you gone to GHPA? Have you gone to meet the director of Keta Port?

Roland: And the thing should be there like this...

Titus: The work that he has done

Roland: What work has he done

………

Titus: You show video of the bare land, you think I’m also happy? I want to see the Keta port to come up

Roland: So why are you justifying it?

Titus: I am not justifying it.

Roland: Why are you justifying?

Titus: I’m not justifying, I’m explaining that the director of Keta port…

Roland: The man is there and the work is not commencements to the salary that he is withdrawing

Titus: You’re not helping the conversation

Roland: Then what I’m I doing?

Titus: You’re not helping the conversation. Have you been to GPHA to find out what they have done regards to Keta port? You’re a journalist you need to do a balanced story. You don’t go one side

Roland: How balanced should we be?

Titus: You have not been fair to government, please what you’re doing, are you doing fair journalism?

Roland: Very fair, you can see the pictures in there.

Titus: You show the bare land of the Keta port, here you go here you go...

Roland: The man is drawing salaries his workers are drawing salaries, you have seen the memo...

Titus: Go to GHPA and see what has been done, go and find out….

Roland: For 3 years, 4 years then only sign post there

Titus: I don’t like this kind of journalism, broadcasting you’re doing, you have not been fair to government

Roland: What I’m saying is that you have to go to the ground and see for yourself

Titus: You’re not been fair to government, you’re not been fair to government what I’m saying is that what you’re showing there, you want people to make government look bad that is exactly what you’re doing.

…………..

Titus: You think it’s easy to build a port?

Roland: Then why did you say you’re building a port

Titus: ooo please don’t go there

Roland: Why then didn’t you tell us that the feasibility is going to take 3 to 4 years

Titus: You’re from Tema, drive from here to go and see the Director General and he will tell you what they have done, you don’t go and do one sided broadcasting here

Roland: What do you mean by one sided?

Titus: Please excuse me

Roland: What is one sided about this

Titus: That is exactly what you’re doing, that is exactly what you’re doing, you’re not been fair to government and GHPA

Roland: It can never be. You’re a former deputy minister of roads of transport, you say that there is a justification for having a line items for people drawing salaries whiles at the same time we’re having a conversation that we need to reduce wage bill, is question to you sir, Mr. Titus Glover

Titus: Ronald walker

Roland: Yes sir

Titus: I will stand by my position, I will not stop TV3 from covering whatever they want to do. What I’m saying is that, I want to see a more of professional work, a balanced story. I’m a stringer a trained stringer we’re taught to do balance stories. You have showed video of Keta port, a bare land, you have talked about cost that has gone into it, attacking the director general, sorry the director of Keta port

Roland: Who is attacking him…

Titus: You you you, you said it.

Roland: What do you mean by that, there are complete public...

Titus: Please, please, please, when you were talking I was quiet let me flow, let me flow I beg you, and I am saying find a way and go to the GPHA and look for the Director of Keta port or by extension you can see the Director General, Michael Luguje and they will tell you what they have done so far, but when you give one side sided story you’re not being fair to the people Keta and the GHPA and government that is all that I’m saying.

The Keta sea port project

In 2019, the master planning program for the development of the port-city Keta project in the Volta Region of Ghana was commenced by the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority (GPHA), under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and on behalf of the Government of Ghana (GoG).

Chiefs and locals applauded the news of the proposed project, saying it had been in the works for a while and that its construction would bring Keta back to its former glory as a hub for both domestic and international trade.

Government in march 19, 2019 announced the appointment of Dr. Alexander Adusei, a Ohio state University trained lawyer as the Director of Keta Port and asked the chairman of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to take the necessary actions to effect the appointment of the director

In August 2019, a delegation from GPHA including Mr Michael Lugje , the Director –General, paid a courtesy call on the Awoamefia of Anlo, Torgbui Sri III at Anloga to officially introduced Dr. Adusei the appointed Director of Keta Port to the chiefs.

You might remember that in 2019, Titus Glover, who was then the deputy minister of transport, defended the choice to appoint Dr Alexander Adusei as the director of the hypothetical Keta port by stating that the director "will supervise the ground work and act as a liaison officer to engage consultant, architects, and the community for the project."

The appointment of the director became an issue with the former member of parliament for Keta accusing the government and called the appointment as ‘baffling and preposterous’ in an open letter in April 2019.

The proposed Keta Port is expected to be built around the Volta Lake in the town of Kedzi in the Keta Municipality.

The sea port would add to two existing ones, Takoradi in the western region and Tema in the Greater Accra region.

AM/DA