GJA reacts to NDC’s Kokrokoo boycott

A statement signed by the National Communications Director of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, entreated all communicators, media monitors, members, and officials of the NDC to refuse any invitations and/or interviews from the Peace FM’s morning show, Kookrokoo.

He stated that the decision stems from “the unfair paneling system that the Production Team of the said program has continuously foisted on the NDC over a number of months”.

The President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Affail Monney, was however, called on by the NDC and Peace FM to settle their differences as he states that political parties and the media cannot do without each other.

Reacting to this news in an interview with Accra based Happy FM, Affail Monney said: “Our [GJA] position is that the NDC and peace FM should come together and settle their differences. A similar thing also happened between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Joy FM. The reality is that when this happens, both sides lose. We are all part of the system. We can’t do without each other”.

He recounted when some members of the association decided to boycott a certain party because the party had assaulted its members. He noted that as a leader he had to “square [his] decisions with the logic of reality”.

“Democracy is impossible without the media. At the same time, political parties are also the building blocks of democracy. When conflicts come we must find a way to resolve it and move on”, he added.

The NDC party is however confident that their exclusion from the Kookrokoo panel discussion will not affect the party’s communication efforts as there are many alternatives to carry their messages across.