The ‘A Plus’ incident

Sometimes it’s not even a verbal expression that is meant to be an insult. For example, tearing up a letter from anybody, and publicly too, can be seem as the ultimate insult.

That act is definitely meant to show the utmost contempt; and is bound to be taken as the highest abuse by the source of the torn letter.

In recent days, a United Television Ghana (UTV) entertainment programme, ‘United Showbiz’, has been in the news because a group of New Patriotic Party members stormed the studio to protest the reaction to a letter they wrote to UTV about what they deem are unfair attacks on the Government on that show. One of the programme’s regular panellists, Mr Kwame Asare Obeng, better known as ‘A Plus’, tore up a copy of the letter on live television.

I have seen a copy of the NPP letter, signed by the Mr William Yamoah, Director of Finance. Dated September 19, 2023, it was addressed to the UTV General Manager, copied to other senior management, as well as the programme’s Executive Producer.

It observed that in recent times, the programme’s content “has significantly deviated from its original purpose and relevance” and if it is now “a political talk show”, favouring the opposition National Democratic Congress, then the NPP feels that it should be given fair representation on it.

Reportedly, it was the tearing up of the letter during the programme’s September 30 edition, that infuriated some NPP members and led to their invading the UTV studio on October 7, to confront A Plus.

Some of the invaders allegedly escaped, but 16 of them were arrested and, rightfully, are to be prosecuted for their most outrageous act. As members of the ruling party, they should have known better and taken their complaint to the National Media Commission (NMC).

That is the channel offered by the national Constitution in Chapter 12 (‘Freedom and Independence of the Media’), for redress of media complaints by the public.

Even if the UTV management didn’t want to take action, but A Plus felt the NPP letter was offensive to him personally surely he, too, could have used the NMC to lodge a complaint.

Of course the NPP members had no right to invade the studio, but at the same time, it raises the question: if the NPP Government were really intolerant and truly intimidating the media, as is being interpreted by some commentators, would A Plus, have thought it safe to tear up a letter from the ruling party, notably on live television?

But I’m curious about why A Plus felt he was the one to respond to the letter. Is he part of the UTV management? Was it not up to the management to respond, or complain to the NMC if they felt the letter was an infringement of Chapter 12?

The letter is being interpreted as an attempt to interfere in the work of UTV, an assault on freedom of the press. But is that the case?

It needs to be pointed out that the same Chapter 12 also insists that people should have the right to have their side heard, the right to send a rejoinder to a media house if they feel it has been unfair to them (emphasis supplied). Clearly the framers of the Constitution knew that sometimes the public need mandatory protection from us, the media!

Furthermore, it stipulates that in such a situation, that media house is obliged to “publish a rejoinder, if any, from the person in respect of whom the publication was made.” Thus corrective action is implied and I believe that the spirit of that chapter applies in this UTV matter.

To me, the letter from the NPP was a rejoinder. So why was a copy of a letter addressed to the General Manager in the hands of a panellist? Was he to act on behalf of UTV? And if so, was tearing it up the best response?

To my mind, it was UTV management that was supposed to act on the letter, to accept the criticisms or possibly forward it to the NMC as an example of the “interference by Government” cited in Chapter 12.

Why didn’t UTV do that?

Again, it is appropriate that the invaders were arrested, but I think for his part, A Plus too needs to know that he was seriously out of order. In my view, he should render an apology to the NPP, as well as to the viewers who witnessed his shocking, needless and clearly spiteful act.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………