To start with, permit me to define the word Journalism. Journalism is the work of collecting, writing, and publishing news stories and articles in newspapers and magazines or broadcasting them on the radio and television. A journalist is expected to be objective and impartial with their reportage. What is objective reporting, one may ask? It is simply reportage based on real facts and not influenced by personal beliefs or feelings.
Does the greenhorn reporter, one Sampson Kwame Nyamekye at Hello FM Kumasi, aware of the basic duties and qualities of a reporter? Does he know anything about objectivity, the requirement of a reporter or a journalist?
When I hear him report on the ongoing Kumawu chieftaincy dispute, he does not only sound biased, but also, completely clueless and inexperienced. This is why I have tagged him as a "greenhorn". He always twists the truth, sounds to be belittling the party that is opposing the purported, but illegal, enstoolment of one Dr Yaw Sarfo who goes by the stool name Barimah Sarfo Tweneboah Koduah, as Kumawuhene.
He always tries to mock them by saying silly things like, "That boy who was chased into the bush has now come back claiming to be Kumawu Akwamuhene. How can he be Akwamuhene, someone who was forced to domicile in the bush?" He will then laugh as though he was one of the Bushmen living in the jungles of South Africa. He will continue to say, "{Nana Barimah Sarfo Tweneboah Koduah, Kumawuhene, "mekyea wo", Nana Serwaah Amponsah, Kumawuhemaa, "mekyea wo"}, your enemies cannot do anything to you as long as Otumfuo Ababio Osei Tutu II, the occupant of the Golden Stool, backs you through and through". There is no need for me to reproduce all the absurd castigations by this greenhorn on Hello FM about the people faulting Asantehene and Asanteman on the process they used to impose Dr Yaw Sarfo on Kumawuman citizens as their Omanhene.
Going forward, I was compelled to conduct a background check on this guy that I have come to see as a blemish or scar on Ghanaian journalism. I discovered that he is from Goaso. He is the son of settler parents who named him after a native of Goaso when he was born. How dare he, a rumoured non-Akan of some stigmatised tribal extraction, to meddle prejudicially in Kumawu chieftaincy affairs? As a journalist, he has the absolute right to report on any incidents, or stories of national, local or individual's interests in Ghana. However, he is required to be objective at all times, if indeed; he aspires to stay credible and to live within the confinements of the ethics of journalism.
I also found out that he completed his course of journalism at the University of Education Winneba, Kumasi campus, only last year. I am yet to discover the electives he studied, to tell if such subjects have contributed to shaping him in that irresponsible and bush-like manner he conducts himself during his news reporting.
Even if he has accepted bribes from Dr Yaw Sarfo and Kumawuhemaa, as they don't hesitate to offer bribes in the hope of enhancing their course, he has the obliged duty to inform the public of only the truthful state of affairs, be they news or whatever, when reporting them. He should not lie to people or else, he will be courting enmity for himself.
Sampson Kwame Nyamekye, a young and naive graduate should go back to learn economics to better appreciate the job that he has been offered by the Despite Group of Companies Ltd, in this era of Ghana being engulfed in total joblessness.
He had better note that Dr Osei Kwame Despite from Wiamoase in the Ashanti region is a Sole Proprietor with an unstoppable entrepreneurial spirit. He is although a renowned philanthropist, his main objective, like all sole proprietors, is profit maximisation. He will therefore not countenance any misbehaviour or acts of unprofessionalism by this now established rogue going by the name Sampson Kwame Nyameke that will put his personal and companies' credibility in disrepute.
Everyone knows that Hello FM in Kumasi is Peace FM's sister station.
He should not make a fool of himself by not going back to learn about Asanteman, and particularly, Kumawu's history – the origin of Asanteman, the origin of the various divisions within Asanteman and the unique or individual's chieftaincy history. The fact that Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Kumasihene who de facto becomes the Ceremonial Head of Asanteman (Asantehene), has illegally imposed Dr Yaw Sarfo on Kumawuman as their Omanhene does not make Dr Yaw Sarfo a genuine, and a recognised Kumawuhene.
I shall rather advise Sampson to go back to broaden his knowledge about Kumawu history by reading all my last four months publications on the Kumawu chieftaincy dispute as may be found on Ghanaweb, Modernghana and Spyghana, than to continue to display his abject ignorance on air.
Should he continue to misinform the public, an act of confirmation of his inexperience, suspicions about accepting bribes to twist the truth, some people may have no other option than to lodge official complaints about his unethical attitudes with his bosses.
In the meantime, I shall entreat all the listeners of Hello FM to shun the false reportage on Kumawu as disseminated by this infant, but loudmouth journalist. I hope he will not dare engage the good people of Kumawuman in any media war, for if he does, he will be the loser in the end. We have access to a wide spectrum of social media and the damage that will be caused to him will be irreparable.
We only wield the weapon of truth to defeat our enemies, opponents and whomever. If it were not so, we would not have been able to silence both Asantehene and Asanteman chiefs who are corrupt, mischievous and seemingly autocrats, in their pursuit to rob Kumawuman of their wealth and rich history in broad daylight.
While directing you to read my said publications, I shall additionally ask you to go on to YouTube to watch the video postings titled, "Asantehene involves in corruption" and "Barima Tweneboa Kodua V – The Real Kumawuhene" parts I & II. To easily access the second title, simply type in "Real Kumawuhene" when you are on YouTube and it will take you there.
After this, go on air to tell Ghanaians and the whole world whether or not, your tainted perceptions of Kumawu chieftaincy have changed or they still remain the same.
I shall entreat the members of the Overseas Concerned Citizens of Kumawuman to circulate this publication on all their social media outlets.
I wish you all a Happy Easter Sunday. Jesus has risen from the dead today, Sunday 5 April 2015.
Rockson Adofo
