You’ll die first if there’s war; be critical on EC – NDC to journalists

The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Johnson Asiedu Nketia has slammed the Ghanaian media for its supposed silence on what he says is some dangerous happenings at the Electoral Commission of Ghana.

He said the media as the watchdog of the country and the fourth estate of the realm must be vigilant and interested in speaking against actions of the electoral body which capable of plunging the country into war.

“When you take a look across Africa, you can count the number of countries that have gone to war because of rough elections or dispute after elections. You have Cote D’viore, you have Togo, name them Congo everywhere."

"If you are there and you see the Electoral Commission doing the wrong things and you say that I am a media man I don’t care about electoral commission I don’t participate in IPAC, I weep for you because when elections are compromised and there is conflict in the country do you know the people who die first – the media people”.

He explained further: “because whilst everybody is running away for their dear lives it is your duty to capture pictures of people running away. When guns are being shot it is your duty to go and see from which angle the guns are being fired and who is winning the war...and you are not immune to bullet."

"So please when issues about preparation to rig elections come out you must take the lead to ensure that the electoral system is clean and authentic and that it can deliver the actual will of the people as expressed during voting day”.

Asiedu Nketia said made the comment Friday at a symposium held on the theme: “Current State of Ghana” organized by the Koforidua Technical University chapter of the Tertiary Education Institutions Network(TEIN). The event was held coincidentally at a day Ghana Joined the rest of the World to celebrate World Press Freedom Day.

He said the posture of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensah, and other commissioners particularly Dr. Bossman Asare must be a concern to all Ghanaians.

“I have never heard in any country where the chairperson of the Electoral Commission will talk to political parties and tell them that we don’t owe you explanation about anything we do in this place.And yet we are sitting there as if we don’t care. A large section of the media think they don’t care and so they are interested in suppressing news about that."

"You are suppressing the canker that will come and hunt you in future. This is the time every Ghanaian must rise and say that if we don’t have proper election arbiters we are in for trouble and that this country is not for one person. And say this state of impunity must stop and the time to stop it is now”.

He also questioned the Electoral Commission’s ‘strange’ sideline of representatives of International Development partners in Ghana such as the UNDP and Civil Society Organizations in the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meetings since the new Chairperson of EC and other Commissioners assumed office.