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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I don’t blame Songo, I blame his employer and the people who continue to reward a known drug addict, just because they hate Nyantakyi. No reputable media house will employ an unprofessional presenter like him
OH AMA GHANA HMMMMMMM
truth can be told in Ghana without recourse to insults and invectives. screaming and ranting does not change the import of the message, only the delivery. put the facts as you have them out there and any discerning person can verify and make informed opinions on them. that is way better than ranting and raving and resorting to name calling and invectives in the the delivery.
Let's not forget that, he has won best sports presenter award on two or whatever occasions. Now my question is, under which criteria was he adjudged the best, because as far as i know Songo hasn't changed his style and stance on issues. We have no quality and substance in anything we do today in the media. Yet we reward mediocrity and poor quality. We are losing out big time on quality. The mediocrity and noise is too much on tv and radio.
What is the state of Ghana football today , what is the status of the premiership .Everyone is quite because of 1 man even sepp batter was yanked off.A word to the wise ...,.....
It's good to him, you can say what ever you like but you can't insult someone without a proof, next time he reduced his smoking ability before coming on air waves
They should leave the gentle man alone, Use_lesz GFA. Lets face the fact, are we happy with the state of Ghana football currently? They hate people who say it as it is right in their face. We will be doing disservice to Ghana football to silence that guy. They should leave him alone. we all watch and listened to the World cup commissions work. We are in middle of March, 2018 and our league season is yet to start. Our players starting going to Azerbaijan to play and you there calling yourself GFA president kaiii!!
LONG OVERDUE
GOOD RIDDANCE
very good. now i can watch Adom TV