There is always this talk about freedom of the media and always before I address this, I say that the media in Ghana can also be so irresponsible to the extent of bringing out false information just to make someone look bad in society. And whenever the person who was wrongly accused sought redress in court and wins, the media will come out that ‘there is no press freedom in Ghana.’
Journalistic terrorism is even worse than dictatorship. Like the days of the first republic, where on account of laws like the PDA and False Report Bill, one could be falsely accused and be sent to jail without any court trial; today the media would falsely attack the integrity of an innocent person and want him to be punish, even though he did nothing wrong.
With the current crisis and challenges facing communities south of the Akosombo Dam, which are flooded due to spillage of water from the dam, some social media practitioner, decided to take government and politicians to task as if to say that they were the cause of the floods.
I was told that those communities south of Akosombo faced a certain level of flooding in history due to spillage from the dam. These spillages are very necessary because the integrity of the dam must be protected. Anything other than that, will see the collapsing of the dam and millions of lives in the Accra plains would be lost. Tema would be wipe out and swept into the sea.
According to the VRA’s Deputy Chief in-charge of Engineering and Operations, Edward Obeng Kenzo, heindicated that in line with the Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) and standard operating procedures, before commencing the spill operations, formal letters were sent to all stakeholders at both national and district levels, including all communities and people living downstream from the dams, to inform them of the impending spillage.
The question is what did the Assemblies and the communities do after receiving this notification? Did they assume it was business as usual and just threw the notification somewhere? This year’s spillage is unprecedented and the floods are as deadly as floods recorded in some parts of the world like China and New York.
As we pray for God’s intervention for our brothers and sisters who are hit by the floods, I pray that irresponsible people will not take advantage of the situation and create unnecessary tensions and bitterness against a certain sect of people, by spreading falsehood.
Also on social media, so harebrains decided to record Ghana Fire Service tenders at the Agric Development Bank in Dansoman. The GFS crew went to quench fire in the bank and some of the men were on rooftop.
The video showed them receiving sachet water. In the video a guy was telling Ghanaians that the fire tenders came without water and the fire officers were using sachet water to fill the trucks. GFS had to come out to deny that and stated what actually took place.
The men on the roof were receiving water to drink and cool down under the heat. The video showed no fire or smoke and so, where from this that sachet water was used to fill the fire tenders?
Speaking about unnecessary tensions, I will like to take this opportunity to address one personality in this country. He is Senior Journalist, Ben Ephson who I personally know.
The NPP as it stands today is in great crisis with its pillars being badly shaken. The party does not need anything that would further deepen the wounds of hatred, disunity and what have you.
I recently read in the media that Ben Ephson stated that Akufo-Addo is charitable to ministers who do not support Bawumia; but in the case of Kufuor, he sacked ministers who did not back his alleged candidate, Alan Kyerematen, but were found supporting Nana Addo.
Ben Ephson must know that the New Patriotic Party is not in the mood to entertain such reckless conduct. He is a seasoned journalist and must learn to endeavour to be of good example to the younger ones to follow.
Already, some journalists will wake up and depending on the voice of whichever bird sings to usher in the new day, they will spew lies that will only seek to cause panic and fear in the country. And when they are touched, they will scream to the whole worldthat there is gagging of press freedom in Ghana.
Is Ben Ephson aware that he has lost it as a good journalist? And even as he has decided to take up a new role as a political prophet or pollster, almost all of his predictions have failed to come true? Is he aware that he is fast becoming a laughing stock?
Ben Ephson as an Nkrumaist does not wish the NPP well. I remember meeting him around Afrikiko near the Ako Adjei Interchange sometime in 2008. He was mad that the NPP decided not to cede the Evalue Ajomoro Gwira constituency to CPP’s Kojo Armah as has always being the case, but decided to put up Catherine Abelema Afeku to contest the incumbent MP, on the NPP ticket. Ben wished NPP ill-luck in that constituency.
Unfortunately for him, when the results came out, Catherine won by securing 57.69% of the valid votes cast and that was 11,641 votes. The NDC candidate, Peter Arde-Kwadwo secured 6,224 votes or 30.84% to become second, while CPP’s Kojo Armah secured only 2,314 votes or 11.47% to place third.
How Ben Ephson, who prides himself as a pollster could not predict that Kojo Armah was a spent force in Evalue Ajomoro Gwira Constituency, clearly shows the fellow he truly is. One of the top journalists during the 80s and 90s, is now not considered any important.
His hatred for President Kufuor was further made evident when in one of his publication the seasoned journalist attempted to smear ethnicity in appointment of government officials.My name appeared on the list and Ghanaians were told by Ben Ephson that I am a Fante.
It is very obvious that he never researched into the ethnicity of members of government, because if he did, he would have found out that I am not a Fante.
Today, he continues to launch attacks at the former president. Hear him. ‘Sixteen years ago, he, Alan was the establishment candidate. Akufo-Addo was the victim of the establishment candidate. So, even if Bawumia is the establishment candidate, Akufo-Addo has been more discreet.
I will give you one typical example. Ministers of state, 16 years ago under President Kufuor, who supported Akufo-Addo were dismissed. I will repeat that in 2007, ministers of state who supported Akufo-Addo and did not support Alan Kyerematen were dismissed.’ (Ref: Peace FM Kokrokoo Morning Show of Thursday, October 12, 2023).
Ben Ephson can now be described as a media terrorist who have decided to increase confusion, division and hatred in the NPP just because he wants the UP-Tradition party to split and be permanently divided. The question is, if Ben Ephsonknows that he is speaking the truth, why could he not volunteer just one name of the ministers, he claims Kufuor sacked from office in 2007?
The truth is there was none. No minister, deputy minister or government official was dismissed by Kufuor in 2007 and 2008. The only high-profile resignation came in April/May 2006 and that was when Kwabena Agyepong resigned his position as Presidential Press Secretary.
The real truth of the matter was that in 2007 eighteen people expressed their willingness to contest the party’s presidential primaries. Out of the lot, thirteen were government appointees, made up of a vice president, ministers, deputy ministers and an envoy. One was disqualified, in the person of Nkrabeah Dartey, based on provisions of the Constitution.
Now the NPP Constitution mandated government appointees to resign if they intended to run for president. With this by July 2007, eleven of the government appointees, including Alan Kyerematen, who were desirous of contesting the primaries, tended in their resignation. Only vice president Aliu Mahama remained in office.
So, as it is Kufuor never sacked any of his ministers from office. Ben Ephson must come clean on what he said and render apology to the NPP and to President Kufuor. His penchant for spreading misinformation is becoming too serious and does not speak well of an elderly person like him.
That irresponsible statement can only create chaos and division in a party already torn apart. From what he is saying can someone also say President Akufo-Addo sacked two of his ministers, Alan Kyerematen and Afriyie Akoto, because they intended to contest the alleged establishment candidate, Bawumia? This nonsense must stop.
At the start of this Fourth Republic, there was Criminal Libel law in our statutes that would put anyone to jail whenever that person libelled another. And Justice Joyce Bamford Addo once said, that the truth is not necessary in a criminal libel case.
Those were the moments when journalists were so scared as some of their seniors, found themselves in jail for merely asking questions that the Executive felt offended of. Those were in the Rawlings era.
When the NPP came in 2001, the Criminal Libel Law was scrapped and journalists started enjoying freedom in their line of duties. Instead of acting respectfully, some started libelling people and spreading falsehood against those in authority.
So, today, we have media practitioners, who are telling us that J.B. Danquah was not a national officer of UGCC but a regional chairman; K.A. Gbedemah, we are told stole £23 million of state money and fled the country and now we are been told that former President J.A. Kufuor sacked all ministers who supported Nana Addo in 2007.
How irresponsible can Ben Ephson be, when in 2007 most of the ministers supported aspirant Nana Akufo-Addo.
This nonsense must stop.
Hon. Daniel Dugan
