Akufo-Addo’s media encounter was ‘stage-managed’ – Bawa Mogtari

Spokesperson for former President John Dramani Mahama, Mrs Joyce Bawa Mogtari, is claiming President Nana Akufo-Addo’s encounter with the media last Friday was stage-managed to make his government look good.

Nana Akufo-Addo used an hour of the two hours for the event, which was to allow journalists interrogate him on key national issues in all sectors of the economy, to tout what his government has achieved in the last three years and what is to be expected in the next year.

According to Mrs Mogtari, most of the journalists present at the event failed to ask probing questions, suggesting the whole encounter was planned to have journalists stick to certain questions to make the government look good.

Appearing on TV3 news analysis programme, The Key Points, she questioned, for instance, why there were no questions on how government is tackling issues of unemployment among other pertinent issues, which in her opinion, are crucial at the moment.

She noted there ought to have been an opportunity for journalists to ask follow up questions.

“That is why I think that the whole conversation yesterday was choreographed, it was stage-managed…and if I were a journalist, I will be asking why do we have to wait for the full complement of the ambulance, and I would have asked a follow up question.”

Mrs Mogtari further alleged that she came across comments on social media suggesting that some key individuals noted for asking probing questions were sidelined.

“Indeed imagine what it looks like when you have a media person having an opportunity once in a very red moon to engage the first gentleman of the land, naturally, there will be certain need to either try and tickle his fancy, to try and ask questions that you think would make him happy,” she said.

The spokesperson advised the president to accept criticisms and accept that things are not as rosy as he seem to suggest.

“I do pray the president realises that there is enormous hardship. Yesterday’s encounter, I think was just to make him look good, to try very hard to appear to be in touch with the good people.”