The fiery host of popular television show Fire for Fire on Asempa FM and Adom TV, Patrick Osei Agyemang (alias Countryman Songo) has been yanked off the airwaves after he directed yet another rant at the Ghana Football Association President Kwesi Nyantakyi.
The three-time Radio and Television Personality (RTP) ‘Best TV sports show host of the year’, Songo in his last show before being benched reportedly hurled invectives at Mr Nyantakyi for "destroying Ghana football" in the wake of the delay to the start of the 2018 Ghana Premier League due to a High Court injunction on the league sought by Accra Gt. Olympics..
According to grapevine sources, his outburst was the final straw which broke the camel's back as it threatened a GH?250,000 settlement Multimedia Group Limited (MGL) is hoping to reach with Nyantakyi in place of a GH?2m libel suit he filed against MGL and Songo as well as Kofi Asare Brako (alias Abatay, a former MGL staffer now at Atinka FM).
It will be recalled that Nyantakyi and his lawyers had turned down a GHC40,000 settlement indicating that they were not interested in compensation.
The sources said MGL authorities were left puzzled by the actions of the controversial presenter who after pleading for forgiveness during hearings of the suit, goes on-air with a different attitude, repeating the same offending words on-air even though he was expressly directed not to insult Mr Nyantakyi until the court issue was resolved amicably.
Several media watchers, including some sports journalists, have been wondering why the "Ogya" (fire) voice has been mute over the past couple of weeks.
Graphic Online gathers that Songo has neither been sacked nor suspended by his employers but has been directed to assist with production duties behind the scenes till further notice.
Background
It will be recalled that in 2016, Nyantakyi sued Multimedia, seeking damages from the company and its journalists Patrick Osei Agyemang (alias Songo) and Kofi Asare Brako for allegedly calling him “the head of a Mafia”.
Nyantakyi, a Vice President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), claims Asempa FM - a local-language FM station owned by MGL - tarnished his image in a series of broadcasts involving two of their journalists.
However, a leaked letter addressed to Nyantakyi's lawyers, Sory@Law by MGL pleads with the GFA boss to accept the amount of GH?40,000 as compensation for what had transpired, "in the spirit of reconciliation".
The letter signed by Shadrach Arhin, a Managing Partner of CPL, a law firm representing MGL, states that: "In the spirit of reconciliation, and the efforts made by our client in rendering an unqualified apology to your client and retracting the story online on its portals, our client pleads with your client to accept the amount of GH?40,00 as compensation for what has transpired.
"We hope this is acceptable to your client".
Nyantakyi not interested in compensation
"I am not interested in money or punishment but to set the record straight," Nyantakyi, a Fifa Council member, told BBC Sport.
Thadeus Sory, Nyantakyi's lawyer, told BBC Sport that his client was described as 'heading a mafia' and stealing money meant for the GFA.
"They've called me a 'thief', 'armed robber' and a 'corrupt' man," added Nyantakyi.
"I have sued them. I want to uphold standards in journalism in Ghana which have been thrown to the dogs."
"The allegations are defamatory. To call him the head of a mafia is to impute criminality," said Thadeus Sory.
The GFA president's conduct has been under scrutiny since a government-instituted panel of enquiry recommended last year that he refund $412,000 budgeted for the 2014 World Cup, "which he has failed to account for."
Nyantakyi, who has led Ghanaian football since 2005, is challenging the enquiry's verdict in court.
Agyeman, one of the two journalists being sued, refused to be drawn on the libel suit when contacted by BBC Sport.
"My lawyers have advised me not to speak," he replied.
Source: Graphic.com
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THERE IS SO MUCH INSULTS ON OUR AIR WAVES THIS WAS NOT SO 30 TO 40 YEARS AGO WHY WHY WHY SOMBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHY GOB BLESS US
NOT 1% SURPRISED! IS TRUTH TOLD IN GHANA? NO, YOU WILL SUFFER FOR IT. TOTALLY DISAPPOINTED IN NPP ON HOW THE SPORTS MINISTRY AND GHANA'S FOOTBALL IS RUN. NANA ADDO, ARE YOU HAPPY? OR YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOUTH & SPORTS? HOW IS ISAAC ASIAMA STILL AT POST AND SPORTS IS NOT FUNCTIONING IN GHANA! WHAT IS HE RECEIVING MONTHLY SALARY FOR. IS IT A CASE OF WASTING OUR MONEY? EI, GHANA, LOOK AT HOW OTHER SERIOUS COUNTRIES ARE CAKING IN BILLIONS OF MONEY AND FINDING JOBS FOR THE YOUTH AND MANY. ARE WE SERIOUS AS A COUNTRY? I PROPOSE THAT ALL SPORT JOURNALIST IN GHANA BOYCOTT GHANA SPORT INDEFINITELY! LET US ALL WHO LOVE GHANA SUPPORT SONGO TO FIGHT ON!
I AM AMAZED THAT PEOPLE ARE SUPPORTING KWESI NYANTATKYI IN THE FACE OF HOW HE HAS RUN DOWN GHANA FOOTBALL. SOMETHING IS HAPPENING IN THIS COUNTRY. EVEN WHILST THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT GHANA FOOTBALL HAS RETROGRESSED TO A HIGH EXTENT WITH REFEREEING A CORRUPT PROFESSION, EXECUTIVES SIPHONING MONEY UNDER THE PROTECTION OF CAF AND FIFA, KWESI NYAntakyi RUNNING THE PLACE WITH HIS HENCHMEN LIKE A DICTATOR, BUYING JOURNALISTS TO SHUT EVERYONE DOWN RESULTING IN FANS TURNING AWAY FROM THE GAME, PEOPLE ARE STILL SUPPORTING THIS? NO WONDER WE ARE IN A ***barred word*** HOLE COUNTRY. THE SAME IS HAPPENING IN OUR POLITICS. HUNGRY PEOPLE WILL SUPPORT CORRUPTION. THERE IS A REASON WHY WE OFFER OURSELVES AS SLAVES IN MANY COUNTRY.
DOES HE NECESSARILY HAS TO INSULT TO GET HIS VIEWS ACCROSS? OR IS THAT THE ONLY WAY TO GAIN RECOGNITION IN HIS REPORTAGE? COME AGIAN ALL YOU GUYS AGAINST HIS REMOVAL?
and that is why the country seem ***barred word*** country. we are been threatened with court court court and the truth is been hidden. well i may agree with multi media but doubt if the judicial system in ghana is fair, at least i though bcx we have a lawyer infact a top legal brain as president but am yet to believe as to why some jehoval witness ppl dont vote, waste of time right?, politicians are all on one bed, eat same food and think the same. so cant anybody at least be sensib.le enough to know that the contry"s football is been hijacked by one foo.l call kwesi nyantakyie, can we all seem that our senior national team is hijacked by asamoah gyan, well if our party thinks they are the only ppl whose money got us into power, thanks be to them but come 2020, that same money may be rejected bcx mahama offered more but what MONEY CANT BUY IS THE VOTERS FED UP ATTITUDE. seem we have so soon forgotten our pain in winning. this same nyantakyie lambusted OB amoah when NDC won in order to sleep with them, sooner than later, he seem our (NPP) best friend, well , once again NANA is disappointing especially in our security and football, why not make him deputy sports minister if you think he is good. same guy made mahama to make sill.y mistake at brazil and seem he is untouchable and threatening those that have eyes(wise) to attack his sill.y and stupi.d administration as GFA prez, well no wonder some leaders respected in society are loosing their status bcx if ASANTEHENE, DORMAA HENE and TOGBE AFEDE with one time prex aspirant kwesi nduom are all strong football owners are allowing this cheap sill.y young guy run our football and eith tehy or their reps they have 100% control will vote always for him, who am i now to blame him. if at least these strong four football giants rise, nyantakyie will vanish, oh Ghana, the ordinary and volunerable VOTER ALWAYS SUFFERS
Let ALL sports programs BOYCOTT Ghana sports IMMEDIATELY. Direct ALL attention to foreign sports. When Bacelona is playing other team and there are discussions to make, you say I should talk about Ghana football. 'Ah, wo paaa?' I ave better things for my life. Look at what happened at GFA and the NPP gov has NO interest in football. Are you soooo INEPT to know that proper management of sports can generate MILLIONS of sustainable jobs. Indeed the average politician does not THINK about the poor Ghanaian. Let Songo and the like boycott Ghana sports.