A group of armed supporters of Ghana's ruling party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has besieged the premises of privately-owned 'Classic FM Radio', vandalising the station and physically attacking workers, the Accra-based press freedom body, Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), alleged in a communique.
According to MFWA, the incident happened on 28 May in 'Techiman,' a town in the 'Brong Ahafo' region where Kofi Doe Lawson, a producer, Michael Amankwah, marketing manager of the station, and a food vendor were violently attacked by the angry supporters who wielded machetes.
The attack was as a result of an alleged voice recording of Simon Addai, a member of parliament (MP) from the Techiman South constituency, who during a meeting with NDC members allegedly threatened to ‘deal’ with some members of the opposition, including prosecuting his immediate predecessor, for acts of corruption.
MFWA reportedly contacted the MP who denied making the statements attributed to him by the radio station.
The MP further accused the station of bias and unprofessionalism.
Daily Guide Version: NDC Storms FM Station
AN IRATE group of National Democratic Congress (NDC) youth, allegedly organized by the Member of Parliament for Techiman South in the Brong Ahafo region, Addai Simon, and led by the Constituency Organizer, Mumuni Saaka, invaded a local radio station, Classic FM, on Thursday May 28, 2009 with cutlasses, knives and sharp implements.The NDC hoodlums stabbed two workers and vandalized the station, leaving behind tales of woes, as the workers ran helter-skelter for dear life.
A desperate call made by Alhaji Tanko, host of the programme ‘Kanawu’, to the police and a follow-up by one of the workers to report the case, did not receive any response. But for the quick response of the Military Patrol team, lives would have been lost.
The ‘Kanawu’ programme comes off every Thursday to discuss topical issues in the Techiman Municipality and had picked on a story about Hon. Addai who had allegedly threatened to sack National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) officials in the municipality.
The Member of Parliament had earlier on met with women groupings of the Techiman Dagombaline and made certain comments to the effect that the former MCE had stolen one billion old Cedis meant for an electrification project.
He also told his listeners, that a trained teacher by name David Boakye, who had been contributing to the programme, would be transferred to a remote area, where he would not be able to go on air again.
On the staff of the National Health Insurance Scheme at Techiman, the MP said he would make sure they were all dismissed and jailed 20 years each for sabotaging the scheme.
He also indicated that he would do everything possible to make sure the Techiman Market Manager was sacked.
These comments by the MP, were secretly recorded and handed over to the radio station which also played the tape on air.
Callers who contributed to the programme were not charitable to the MP, saying they should have known better than to vote for him.
They accused him of trying to take the law into his own hands and reminded him that in this democratic dispensation, an MP was not expected to make such comments.
At about 8.30 pm when the programme was at its peak, the Constituency Organizer led the mob to the station and ordered them to take action.
When DAILY GUIDE visited the station, blood stains and broken glasses could be seen everywhere.
Meanwhile, some of the assailants who were identified, are being sought after by the Techiman Police.
This latest incident marked the third time the NDC youth had attacked the station. The other two attacks took place during the New Patriotic Party (NPP) era when the youth, who perceived workers of the station to be NPP sympathizers, attacked them.
This time around, they warned that since their party was in power, they would do everything possible to make life very difficult for workers of the station.
