The Group Of Mediawatch Research Associates Goofed!

Ghanaians ought to question the credibility and reputation of the Mediawatch Research Associates! This is exactly what I’d like to do in my article-to question the genuineness and credibility of this group, and have my mind cleared as to whether or not its associates are men of integrity and honesty! It has been the habit of adulterated, corrupted, and indoctrinated Ghanaian journalists to write any amount of nonsense in support of the party that they’re affiliated with. They carry along with them the stupid notion that Ghanaians are gullible, and that they are ready to believe whatever they read or hear from the news media. It is pathetic to bring out the fact that lots of the Ghanaian news media pledge allegiance to either the NDC or the NPP and always “sing to their masters’ voice” to the detriment of Ghana’s political evolution. Some of the news print media have sold their conscience of decency and truth; they do not bother to investigate thoroughly the truth behind an issue that has surfaced before putting it into print. The corrupt news media have put their pecuniary interests above everything else –to them the end justifies the means! The intelligent reader with inquisitive mind does not buy readily what he reads; rather, he applies his power of deductive reasoning to be able to scrutinize what a particular news medium has put into print.

A classic example is Paul Kaleku’s article that appeared on ghanaweb on Tuesday, 21 February 2012 entitled “Ministers Selling State Lands to Chinese Companies Must Resign!” Paul Kaleku claims to be the Chief Investigator of Mediawatch Research Associates, and his assertion is that the Deputy Minister of Energy, Emmanuel Boah had sold 100 acres of government land between 2010 and 2011 to HuangDong, Chinese construction and mining company. He went on to add that the proceeds from this land sale amounted to $300,000 which went to the pockets of the Deputy Minister of Energy (Emmanuel Boah) and the Minister of Transportation ( Alhaji Collins Dauda).

Corruption must not be condoned! Those who get caught to have involved in it, I would say, “let the axe fall where it may” irrespective of the status of the perpetrator(s). Corruption is one of the uncountable axes of evil that are retarding the progress and development of our beloved country of Ghana! It is comparable to highway robbery! Those in power rob Ghana with impunity! Yes, it is a practice they become involved in shamelessly, fearlessly, with “style” and “decency”; they are in power and therefore they will never be any repercussions for their corrupt practices. This is the routine the party in power follows in Ghana. It was the turn of the NPP government, and now is the turn of the NDC government!

However, I must admit that I’ve been struggling with myself to comprehend the saga of the land sales-particularly the one which supposedly occurred in the Evalue-Gwira constituency.Could Mr. Paul Kaleku lead me to put my senses together to be able to come to grips with his assertion? It is preposterous for somebody of his calibre to expose himself to a display of stupidity and ignorance! Indeed he makes himself a laughing stock when he claims to be the chief investigator of the Mediawatch Research Associates, but he does not even know what he did investigate! My assessment of his article is that he has been paid by a disgruntled group or by another party to disseminate lies, innuendoes, and insinuations against Emmanuel Boah!

Does Mr. Paul Kaleku honestly believe in his heart that what he wrote pertaining to this land sale in the Evalue-Gwira district is true? Did he make efforts to investigate thoroughly before writing this article? May I know the function(s) of this Mediawatch Research Associates or what it stands for? Doesn’t this institution pledge allegiance to the NPP and that it is a wing of this party to help propagate its agendum of misinformation? Did this group investigate the worthiness as well as the truth behind the article before it was put into print? Did the Executive Director of the Mediawatch Research Associates, Haleema Asana Kabore, give her approval for the publication of the article? If she did, then her own integrity and credibility must be questioned!

Now, let us assume the article is factually correct-to give Mr. Paul Kaleku the benefit of the doubt! There are two different constituencies in play which must be clarified- this is what Mr. Paul Kaleku ought to have been aware of in the course of his “zealous” investigation to castigate Emmanuel Boah. The MP (NPP) for the Evalue-Gwira constituency in the Western Region where this land sale supposedly occurred is Catherine Afeku whose profile had been surfacing in the news media. Emmanuel Boah is the MP (NDC) for the Ellembele constituency also in the Western Region. Incidentally, these two separate constituencies share common borders. What is mind-boggling is this: How could Emmanuel Boah overstep his boundary and infringe upon the territory of Catherine Afeku, demarcate 100 acres of government land and sell to this Chinese Construction and Mining Company without the knowledge of the MP for the area? Please, Mr. Paul Kaleku would you help me solve this puzzle!

Common sense is not common to everybody, but those readers who do have common sense could readily agree with me that Mr. Paul Kaleku’s article was nothing of substance except to write blatant lies and put up shouts of inanities! There is a creation of a doubtful credibility to your article!

In applying my six tools of critical thinking , I come up with some key elements of concern with the so called Chief Investigator of the Mediawatch Researc h Associates which are as follows:

1. Mr. Kaleku wrote his article out of ignorace; he does not know that the Ellembele constituency is different from that of Evalue-Gwira. He may not even know the location of those constituencies. If he had had these facts at his disposal and had done a thorough investigation, he would not have caused that blunder-a blunder that causes his article to be seen as a bunch of lies.

2. Should there be any truth at all in his article, he deliberately exonerated Catherine Afeku. He may be a sympathizer of the NPP; therefore, he found it expedient to not to implicate her as the ringleader for reason(s) best known to him.

3. He may be on the payroll of the NPP and that has a duty to besmear targeted NDC members with dirt, lies, innuendoes, and insinuations.

Paul Kaleku is a Ghanaian and it is his prerogative to raise a red card to call the Attorney General’s office and the proper agency/agencies to investigate. The people of the Ellembele constituency whose MP is the Hon.Emmanuel Boah are neither aware of the activities of this Chinese company nor have they come in contact with Chinese investors in the area. Probably, they are blind; “eyes have they, but they see not!” The Chinese who may have infiltrated into the forests of their area are invisible! Either Mr. Paul Kaleku get his facts right or retract his instigative article! On the other hand if the presence and activities of the Chinese company in question are rather occurring in the Evalue-Gwira constituency with impunity as brought out in the article, I would suggest to Mr. Paul Kaleku that he point his fingers at the MP of the area who is Catherine Afeku. Do not let her off the hook and make Hon. Emmanuel Boah a scapegoat. Ellembele constituency is not the same as Evalue-Gwira constituency; they are separate entities! Each one has a different MP from a different party-get your facts right, Mr.Paul Kaleku!

The ball is your court, Mr. Paul Kaleku! I look forward to hearing from you and I hope this time your article will be void of lies and partisan inclination!

May I suggest to the Executive Director of Mediawatch Research Associates, Haleema Asana Kabore, to open wide her watchful eyes so that she can depend on unbiased employees who will investigate and write under the guidelines of honesty and integrity; anything short of these qualities will let inquisitive minds disdain your institution and see it as a party oriented group which comprises a bunch of incompetent, unreliable individuals on the payroll of the NPP to help champion its strategy of misinformation to blackmail the NDC.

K.N. Anlima of Atlanta.