UTV issues disclaimer over fake John Mahama quote circulated by NPP activists

Management of Accra-based UTV, a subsidiary of the Despite Media Group, have issued a disclaimer on a purported artwork they allegedly issued over ethnocentric comments attributed to former president John Dramani Mahama.

On Friday (April 14), on the Mpu Ne Mpu programme, host of the show issued a categorical disclaimer of the fake artwork in which Mahama is allegedly addressing delegates in the Eastern Region to reject the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“Owners of our station are responsible and have toiled to make it, so there are somethings we don’t do.

“It has come to light that some people are using UTV’s name and logo on purported comments by former president John Dramani Mahama, that we were the authors of that statement,” the host said.

He continued: “I stand on behalf of our owners …and management to state that as UTV, what is said, was not authored by us. It is some unscrupulous people who manufactured it and put the UTV logo on it to make it look as though it was by us.

“This is to state officially that UTV knows nothing about this. Our logo was misused in the context. It is people whose thinking I do not know of,” he stressed before reading out the real quote that was doctored into the now disclaimed version.

Some known New Patriotic Party (NPP) activists including a presidential staffer, Nana Hesse Ogyiri, shared the artwork of the purported quote, in which the former president "speaks" against the Ashanti Region.

"Don't be like Ashanti Region. They are emotionally attached to the NPP that they don't even think before voting for them. Your party and your son has led Ghana into a ditch, be bold to vote against them. Be different. Come back to the NDC in 2024 and we wont neglect you this time," the comment read.

A search on UTV's social media feeds at the time of the publication showed that a similar artwork was posted on April 11, 2023 except that the accompanying text has nothing to do with the Ashanti Region or the NPP.

The original quote reads: "By God’s grace we have the experience, we didn’t buy it in the store, we didn’t learn it in school, it is God who gave us the opportunity to gather that experience. Don’t worry about what some people are saying, it is God’s will, I attend church and when I pray God speaks to me and God has said this is the time for NDC, he has given us power. If God decides no one can change it.”

Mahama completed his regional tour of the Eastern Region on Thursday and is expected to start the Greater Accra Regional tour almost immediately.

His aide, Joyce Bawah-Mogtari has also dismissed the purported quote via a tweet that read: "Wait a minute: Treat with utmost contempt,fake news headlines being churned out by a desperately unscrupulous government that has absolutely nothing to show for itself than to hide behind faceless lies and propaganda against notable political opponents!"

Find the original and fake artworks below:

Former President John Mahama has expressed optimism that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will win the 2024 elections.#UTVNews pic.twitter.com/eqqryJgI8V

— UTV Ghana (@utvghana) April 11, 2023

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SARA