RE: Why We Withdrew Our Participation On Gfm Radio

Something disgraceful happened on the popular GFM Radio program in London on the evening of Sunday 28th of August 2011. The popular political talk show usually features panellist from the main political parties in Ghana. The NDC and the NPP, the CPP occasionally provide a representative. It is not unusual for more than one representative from one political party to be featured on the program as against one representative from the other parties. As a matter of fact, the NPP featured more than one representative on one occasions in the last two months

The host Seidu Kpebu introduced some topics including a statement by The Research and Advocacy Platform (RAP) on the $ 3 billion facility from the China Development Bank (CDB) to finance major infrastructural and industrial projects in various parts of the country. As I was listening, I heard the host Seidu Kpebu announce that he was finding it difficult to get comments from Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, one of the research capos at RAP. Mr Felix Kwakye was subsequently interviewed regarding the content of their press release.

When the time came for the NPP representative in the studio to make his submission, Mr Ofori Agyepong (the NPP rep) rather took the time to protest furiously about the number of NDC representatives in the studio. He was also at a lost as to why Felix Kwakye was interviewed without effort being made to talk to anybody from the NPP. The host commented that, he made efforts to talk to the Communication Director of the NPP in Accra but had no luck. The argument went on air for a brief period before things settled down. The host then announced that the NPP representative has been instructed by one Nana Yaw Sarpong to leave the studio. The program continued nonetheless.

Within a few minutes after the NPP representative left the studio, there was a statement issued by the NPP UK and published by some websites. The speed of events are now being scrutinised by good listener of the program in London. My personal views are that:

• The NPP carefully crafted the ‘ON AIR ATTACK’ to justify dislike for GFM Radio program. GFM radio is one of the few radio stations in the UK which are not’ heavily influenced’ by the NPP. The title of the NPP press release is ‘WHY WE WITHDREW OUR PARTICIPATION ON GFM RADIO SUNDAY 27TH AUGUST, 2011’ First of all; I believe this statement was prepared on Saturday 27th of August 2011 in preparation for their proposed action on Sunday 28th of August. The date 27th of August 2011 does not exist; the NPP UK prepared this statement on Saturday 27th and only filled the gaps on Sunday and issued it.

• The NPP completely lost the argument regarding the $3billion loan to improve the infrastructural development of Ghana and have no choice than to find nonexistent reasons to escape the humiliation of the debate on air. This is no surprise to many Ghanaians, they are known to have boycotted many significant decision making processes in our country’s history, the 1992 constitution is a typical example.

• The NPP UK is doing their possible best to force the GFM radio to do their bidding in the media and become one of their mouth pieces in the UK. This appears to have failed so far.

I urge all well meaning Ghanaians to condemn the actions of the NPP UK on GFM Radio on 28th August 2011. The plot against GFM Radio has been exposed.

Long Live Neutral Ghanaian Media in UK

Long Live Ghana

God Bless Us All

Kwame Agbodza