Controversial Tamale North MP, Alhassan Suhuyini has bemoaned the lack of support for the erstwhile administration on the part of the media on their fight against galamsey.
Alhassan Suhuyini who also doubles as a media man formerly with Radio Gold says his colleagues in the media declined several request to support Former President Mahama’s efforts at fighting galamsey.
He added that during the previous administration, the media busied itself with petty issues and were more interested in hyping the flaws of the Former President and his administration than contributing to the galamsey fight.
“I know media men and I am comfortable to refer to them as colleagues who in the past said when their support was needed to champion national courses that it was not their business, and that a government was elected to carry out reforms that will change the lives of the people and the country for better and that is why it has PRs and Communication officers and Ministers to do the job of rallying people together for national courses and it wasn’t their business to say anything positive about the government and these are senior journalist that some of us in the profession looked up to”
“...they were of the view that people were paid to do such activities and they were to hold the government accountable and put it on its toes. Today, i see them championning this course and I smile even as I admire the fight but I smile, I smile at that hypocrisy, I smile at their disception and disdain that they show other political parties when they are in power and forget about the nationhood that we should protect at every time.”
Suhuyini explained, this behaviour was hypocritical and a big lesson to the party should it return to power someday.
He found it hard to belief that barely 3 months after the swearing in of President Akufo-Addo, the media seems to be active in mobilizing the citizens in the fight against this canker.
This attitude he believes, gives the impression that the media contributed to the success of President Akufo-Addo in the December 2016 polls and were willing to go any length to ensure his government succeeds.
“And perhaps when we have another opportunity one day they will not be able to deceive us. Galamsey has always being with us, many people have put in a lot of effort to curb it. The former President and his government did their bid but what level of support did we give it? Is it because it wasn’t our favourite party in power? Did we forget we were Ghanaian?”
On Tuesday, a media coalition against illegal mining comprising Graphic Communications Group Limited, the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), the Ghanaian Times, the Ghana Journalists Association, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, the Christian Council and PRIMPAG was launched to further strengthen the war against the menace.
This includes many other measures that other media organisations and Civil Society Organisations have initiated to put pressure on the government to take immediate and necessary action against the activities of illegal miners.
The call gained grounds after it was revealed that Ghana is at risk of importing water because of the effects of illegal miners.
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