We have no ties with Mahama; no campaign against Akufo-Addo - AfricaWatch

Africa Watch Magazine has described as "a total fabrication and a figment of the imagination", reports that it (magazine) intends in the coming days, to publish a 44-page Special Report on the ‘poor education in Ghana’.

According to these media reports, as much as 73,000 copies of the February issue of the magazine have already been airlifted to Ghana for a "smear campaign against President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government".

A publication on Thursday, 25 January by the Daily Guide and Statesman newspapers claimed that the yet-to-be-released anti-Free SHS publication by the Africa Watch magazine, were allegedly sponsored by Mr Mahama.

However, Africa Watch says the report is "false and a product of paid media mercenaries whose sole mission is to utterly defame the reputation of a journalistic publication whose views some others do not agree with".

A statement by the Executive Editor of African Watch, Steve Mallory said "such false news attacks not only hurt the targeted media house, but also reduce the public perception toward all the free press, while damaging the integrity of journalism and honest reporting, which are more important now than ever before".

The statement further added that "Africawatch has no campaign to wage against President Akufo-Addo’s government", neither does it have any links whatsoever with ex-President Mahama.

"We must also state that we have no ties to former President John Mahama, nor has he commissioned us to do any Special Report on Ghana’s free SHS programme, Steve Mallory added.

Read full statement below

STATEMENT BY EXECUTIVE EDITOR STEVE MALLORY REGARDING FALSE NEWS AIMED AT DEFAMING AFRICAWATCH MAGAZINE

Our attention has been drawn to a fake news report now appearing in a section of the Ghanaian media to the effect that Africawatch magazine “has initiated a campaign to discredit the free Senior High School (SHS) programme, introduced by the New Patriotic Party (NPP)” and that “the magazine has consequently dedicated its February 2018 edition scheduled to be released unto newsstands next week, for the start of the said campaign.”

According to this fake news story, Africawatch has devoted “a 44-page Special Report on what it says is ‘poor education in Ghana’”, and that 73,000 copies of the February issue have already been airlifted to Ghana for a so-called smear campaign against President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government.

This story is a completely false one, a product of paid media mercenaries whose sole mission is to utterly defame the reputation of a journalistic publication whose views some others do not agree with.

The Africawatch cover photo that was published by the media purporting to be our February 2018 cover is also fake. No such front cover was ever designed or printed by us.

We want to state categorically that no Special Report on Ghana’s free SHS programme has been published by Africawatch, and no such story was ever planned. These allegations are a total fabrication and a figment of the imagination of those behind this hate campaign.

We therefore want to be on public record, in the clearest terms possible, that Africawatch has no campaign to wage against President Akufo-Addo’s government. We must also state that we have no ties to former President John Mahama, nor has he commissioned us to do any Special Report on Ghana’s free SHS programme, as has been claimed by sections of the media in Accra.

We report news as we see it, and no one can peddle or influence our editorial policies nor control what we choose to publish. Our coverage in the past has always been informed by national interest, and national interest only. So any attempt by faceless individuals to tarnish the good name of this magazine will not stand.

We have instructed our lawyers to begin legal action against those media houses involved in these grossly slanderous allegations that seem to be politically motivated.

Such false news attacks not only hurt the targeted media house, but also reduce the public perception toward all the free press, while damaging the integrity of journalism and honest reporting, which are more important now than ever before.