By Nana Biakoye
It was bound to happen; and it has come to pass that Kabral Blay Amihere, a paid agent of Kufuor, and Chairman (?) of the pro-NPP National Media Commission, has made it manifestly clear that he is more interested in the NPP agenda of the Ghanaian media, and not in the proper development of the media.
Last week, unable to continue to hide his NPP colouration, Kabral let his tongue loose on the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the hard working Ghana Police.
Speaking at a forum in Accra, Kabral, in pursuing the agenda of his NPP paymasters, shamelessly questioned the rationale behind the SFO asking legitimate questions about the misuse and misappropriation of funds by Mohammed Awal (just resigned MD of Graphic), and Mr. Ampem Darko, the suspended MD of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.
Per Kabral’s assertion, the media in general, and the state owned media in particular, are insulated from any form of interrogation by the investigative arms of Government.
Per the sick logic of Kabral, the state must continue to give money to GBC and Graphic but the state must not ask how income that accrues to the state media is used/misused.
In other words, Kabral is saying that the media is a law onto itself and that no matter the extent to which media practitioners infringe upon the laws of the land, no agency of state has the right to question such errant media practitioners.
Forget about the fact that Kabral recently visited the Castle to beg President Mills for financial support for the activities of the NMC.
They rush to Government for money and when Government demands accountability, they scream to the high heavens claiming that they are independent and so Government should not interfere with their work.
If they are independent, then it only stands to reason that they should look for their own money and stop begging Government for money.
Independent indeed!
So in the world of Kabral, it is ok for Mohammed Awal and Ampem Darko to collapse Graphic and GBC with their unacceptable financial maladministration.
Absolute bunkum!
Certainly, Kabral does not give a damn about how the taxpayers monies are being misused; he is more interested in keeping his friends and cronies in-charge of the state owned media houses so that they can pursue the anti NDC agenda.
Also, Kabral is not concerned about the manner in which some media houses concoct and fabricate stories to create panic and fear in an attempt to render the nation ungovernable.
Kabral does not give a hoot about media houses concocting a story about robbery and mass rape.
Kabral does not give a hoot about media houses fabricating stories about Government wanting to murder members of GREDA.
Obviously, Kabral enjoys listening to Ato Kwamena Dadzie sit behind the microphone every morning at Joy FM and insult everybody including the President of the Republic.
Well, for the records, Nana Biakoye is stating without any equivocation that it is not the SFO and the Ghana Police that will destroy the journalism profession in Ghana; it is Kabral Blay Amihere, Kwame Karikari, Audrey Gadzekpo, Margaret Amoakohene, Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, Ransford Tetteh and co, who will destroy the journalism profession with their stinking anti NDC and pro NPP agenda.
I certainly do not have a problem if Kabral and his lackeys want to support the narcotics peddlers party and their looting and thieving ways; but I have a big problem when Kabral and co attempt to create the impression that the NDC Government is using state institutions to gag the media.
Where was Kabral when in 2008, the same “panic and fear” law was evoked under the watch of Kufuor to haul lawyer Chris Ackumey before the circuit court in Keta?
Obviously, Kabral was enjoying his ambassadorial appointment in Cote d’Ivoire drinking good French wine and eating “akyeke”.
As a matter of fact, Chris Ackumey’s case is still pending before the Keta circuit court.
For the 8 years that Kufuor and co debased the journalism profession, Kabral kept his long mouth shut because he was enjoying his ambassadorial perks in Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast.
When in 2001, Kwabena Agyepong, Kwaku Baako, Haruna Atta and the coffee shop mafia concocted a story about Kwesi Prat collecting $125,000 from the then opposition NDC, Kabral did not say anything.
When during the period of the NPP, journalists were beaten several times by NPP operatives, Kabral saw nothing wrong with it.
I recall how one Dickson Gbogblor, who was then working with The Enquirer, was beaten mercilessly and had his balls squeezed at the Kokomlemle NPP Headquarters on the orders of Ohene Ntow, who was the General Secretary of the party at the time.
At the same NPP Headquarters, Peter Apisawu, then working with The Insight, was also badly beaten by some NPP militants on the orders of then party Chairman, Haruna Esseku.
Afia Pokua of Adom FM, on two occasions, got severely beaten at NPP congresses.
In one instance, it was the bodyguards of Kufuor who molested Afia Pokua; they booted and kicked her breast and vagina.
During the Odododiodoo bye-election after the death of the late Hon Asafoatse Mankattah, Koby Fiagbe, Editor of The Ghanaian Lens, was picked up by over 20 policemen for no apparent reason and severely beaten at the Jamestown Police Station.
It took a strong force of NDC foot soldiers to get Koby released.
Poor Koby, he walked out of the torture chamber looking haggard with bruises and his camera and phone nowhere to be found.
In the heat of the 2008 election, Andy Kankam, a then senior reporter with The Ghanaian Lens, was beaten up mercilessly by body guards of Kufuor in front of the Kuku Hill Campaign Office of Professor Atta Mills.
Apart from beating up Andy, his camera was also destroyed by the goons and ended up in detention at the Osu Police Station.
It took the anger of Koku Anyidoho, then Communications Director of the Atta Mills Campaign Team, to storm the Osu Police Station and demand the immediate and unconditional release of Andy Kankam before the reporter was released.
Where was Kabral when Graphic passed an obnoxious law to ban A.B.A Fuseini from appearing on Radio Gold’s Alhaji&Alhaji programme?
Where was Kabral when under the watch of Eva Lokko and under the instructions of Kufuor, GBC came out with a wicked “political off-season” policy to prevent the NDC from getting air time on the national broadcaster?
Where was Kabral when the likes of Kofi Wayo were barred from stepping into the studios of GTV?
Where was Kabral when the SFO was let loose on Radio Gold and The Insight to harass them to produce evidence of tax payments?
Where was Kabral when for 8 years, while Daily Guide was getting as much as 8 full page adverts per every edition, when pro NDC papers never got single advert from Government?
Today, are NPP papers not getting Government adverts?
And Kabral calls this a negative agenda towards gagging the media?
Where was Kabral when Joojo Bruce Quansah was declared an enemy of the state because of the critical stance of The Ghana Palaver?
In the end when goons attacked and almost killed Joojo, Kwaku Baako enjoyed the torture and said that Joojo had poured chicken blood on himself saying it was human blood.
Indeed, after that near-death incident, instead of sympathizing with a fellow journalist, Kwaku Baako nicknamed Joojo “Chicken Joojo”.
That was the extent to which a section of the media ganged up with the NPP Government and state institutions to cow critical voices into submission.
Raymond Archer and Roland Acquah Steven had to run for their life when Richard Anane’s thugs chased both gentlemen when they were only doing their job and covering the unfolding story of Anane going for an AIDS conference and using state funds to have raw sex with Alexandria O’Brian resulting in the birth of a bastard.
Where was Kabral when Kennedy Agyepong threatened to kill Kwesi Prat just because the latter said he would take a picture of Hotel De Waa Waa.
Indeed, where was Kabral when journalists (including a female) got detained in a guard room at Kufuor’s residence because they tried to take a shot of Hotel De Waa Waa?
The lady is reported to have had her period prematurely because of the torture meted out to her by Kufuor’s guards.
Where was Kabral when Kufuor showed open antagonism towards a section of the media?
At the height of NPP’s wicked agenda towards killing dissenting opinion in the media, the Ashanti Regional President of the GJA, was shot and killed by assassins because he had a strong lead on some NPP high-ups who were deeply involved in the cocaine trade.
Today, President Atta Mills opens his doors to enemy journalists to visit the Castle and ask him all manner of stupid questions and Kabral says what?
Indeed, he Kabral, is he not NMC Chairman?
During the period of Kufuor would Kabral and co have allowed Kwesi Prat or Joojo Bruce Quansah to become NMC Chairman?
So what the heck is Kabral talking about?
If Kabral is not succeeding in lobbying for another ambassadorial appointment, that does not mean he should be opening his mouth and talking rubbish.
Why; Kabral thinks we don’t know that he is lobbying for another ambassadorial appointment?
Except that he will NEVER get it!
We have had enough of this kind of stinking and jaundiced journalism and Kabral should spare us his nonsense.
President Atta Mills has pledged to build a Better Ghana and if in building a Better Ghana the SFO and Police make sure that journalists do not live above the law, so be it.
And if Kabral Blay Amihere and his cohorts don’t like the Better Ghana agenda, they can go to hell and rot there.
Or better still, they can keep their mouths locked in the anus of the elephant and stop fouling the atmosphere.
By the way; what is taking Kabral so long in looking into the petition that Government made to the NMC in respect of the Amina robbery/mass rape hoax-of-a-story?
Obviously, Kabral will not look into the matter because it will go against his NPP paymasters.
And this character thinks we should take him serious? Gee!!!
For the records, it is ipso facto that it is the jaundiced pro NPP agenda of Kabral and co which will debase and destroy the journalism profession in Ghana and not the NDC Government, the SFO, nor Ghana Police!
Kabral Blay Amihere; Nana Biakoye says “GO WAY YOU!!!
The foolishness must stop and it must stop now!
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