We Need More Sefa Kayis, Randy Abbeys And Adakabres

AS A keen international politician and the architect of Ghana�s current democracy, I cannot fail to recognize the role being played by renowned talk show hosts, in the persons of Kwame Sefa Kayi of Peace FM, Randy Abbey of Metro TV and Adakabre Frimpong-Manso of Okay fm. Kwame Sefa Kayi, with more than 15 years of experience in the media, is arguably one of the best Akan presenters and the finest morning show hosts in Ghana. Having come to be known as �Chairman General�, Kwame Sefa Kayi currently hosts the popular �Kokrokoo� programme at Peace FM. He has maintained a professional relationship with members of both the ruling party and the main opposition party, such that it is difficult to associate him with a particular political grouping. Randy Abbey is a host of a popular television programme �Good Morning Ghana� on Metro TV. He is a good journalist and though a personal friend of President Mahama, he still does not go to bed with the government. Adakabre Frimpong-Manso is a very common name when talking about morning show hosts in Ghana. When he comes face to face with politicians, he always pushes them to the wall with his questions. He started his radio presentation in the United Kingdom and was a host of a News review show on WBLS, a squatter radio and later to Afrique. Adakabre, who recognizes me as his father, because of my closeness to his father, had gone to United Kingdom as a minor with his father R.O. Frimpong Manso and did his �O� and �A� level exams in London and later enrolled to read law at Leicester or Nottingham University, before working at Waltham Stow Council as a legal officer. Adakabre�s father was instrumental in the fight for democracy in Ghana and he stayed with me, together with his family in London, for a while. He returned to Ghana after the Rawlings regime came to an end. Adakabre has worked with stations like Fox FM, Mercury FM in Kumasi, Hot FM and Adom FM, all in Accra. The celebrated broadcast journalist currently works with the Despite Group of Companies. It would be an understatement to say these three gentlemen are playing a yeoman�s role in executing the agenda of moving democracy forward at their respective stations. Neutrality has been the hall mark of the three gentlemen, just as Murdock, and I am lauding them today. They have, like my good friend, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr., excelled in their field of endeavour without any biases and I salute them for that and hope they would continue to do their work well. The producers of these three journalists should not relent in their efforts to do quality work and ask probing questions to enable the hosts to excel in their fields. On September 29, 2014, Samuel Agyemang, who stood in for Randy Abbey, did a good job by exposing the ignorance of the guests on the show, namely Messrs Mahama Ayariga, the Minister for Sports and Hon. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, MP for Bantama. Both are lawyers, but my goodness, they messed up when discussing the Ebola epidemic. This is where I wished persons like Dr. Kwabena Opoku Adusei, President of Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, MP for Manhyia South, Dr. Richard W. Anane, or any qualified doctor in medicine would have been invited to share their views from the Medical point of view. Also on October 2, 2014, during a discussion on Good Morning Ghana, hosted by Randy Abbey, the Deputy Minister for Local Government, Nii Lamptey Vanderpuije messed up when discussing the hikes in water and electricity tariffs and the role of the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC). The Minister was at the mercy of my good friend Kweku Baako, who was at his usual best and compelled the Deputy Minister to tow his line of thinking throughout the discussion. Kweku Baako gave the Minister a technical knockout. Isn�t it clear from this that my argument for hosts and their producers to invite knowledgeable people on their programmes is sound? It is hereby being recommended that producers and hosts should have a team of experts, either from the government or the opposition to talk and discuss national issues on their programmes. I wish that other journalists, including Alhaji Bature of Al- Hajj newspaper and the rented press of the NDC, would emulate the stance of the aforementioned three distinguished journalists. Alhaji Bature has on many occasions exhibited his bias against the NPP, much against the ethics of the practice of journalism, to openly admit prejudices against a particular body or movement or party. The British born Australian and business magnate, Richard Murdock, the Conservative who owned most of the British newspapers; including the SUN, Mirror, Financial Times, Guardian and Daily Mail and most newspapers in America; especially New York Times, has always exhibited impartiality and bank rolled activities of the Conservative. Murdock actually convinced John Smith, Harold Wilson and Tony Blair of the Labour Party to change their social democracy policies to inject new blood in Labour, in order to win power. In this vein, my only wish is for Sefa Kayi, Adakabre and Randy to go the extra mile and do more for Ghana in the area of bringing the best out of interviewees. I have always maintained that governance is not for the mediocrity and that all those who want to contribute to its growth must be knowledgeable. In this wise, I am suggesting that these hosts should henceforth host best brains and experts in order that Ghanaians have the full benefits of their knowledge. Issues relating to a particular Sector Ministry must be seen to be addressed by Sector Ministers and their deputies and chief Directors upon proper advice. I expect that the Minister for a particular Sector, his deputy or chief directors for such ministries, including Local Government, Health, Education and Interior are invited to deliberate on issues pertaining to their Ministries, than seeking the views of just any ordinary person. Ministers of State are the people who are appointed and get paid by the State to explain policies and programmes of the government and not ordinary communicators who have no mandate of the people. Such people shudder when they are taken on for what they say on such programmes because nobody can hold them accountable. The government must take the initiative to stop misinformation by stopping its spin doctors, most of whom know next to nothing about the issues they comment on in public. I do not see any good in inviting the likes of Allotey Jacobs, John Jinakpo, Nii Lamptey Vanderpuije and Dr. Omane Boamah, Asiedu Nketiah, Yaw Boateng Gyan, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Madam Akua Donkor and one Nana Agyenim Boateng, alias �Gyataba�, and mushroom politicians to discuss the economy, health or education, when they know nothing about the issue. Such persons are a mockery to our quest for economic freedom. They must consider themselves as party men or politicians, but not economists to comment on issues and about the economy by heart. Mr. Ben Dotse Malor, the Senior Communications Adviser at the Presidency claims that he worked with the BBC. Would Ben Dotse Malor tell us which section or department of the BBC he worked with? Is it Hounslow or Acton or Earling or the Bush House, which used to be headed by one Mr. Wilson or Williamson, a Rawlings propagandist, who was sacked by the BBC Board for projecting Mr. Rawlings unnecessarily at the BBC? Now talking about BBC, one Williamson, a physically challenged Sierra Leonean journalist, had headed �Focus� at Bush House before Bentill Enchil (now with the UN) and Elizabeth Ohene. With these, Ben Dotse Malor, should have known me during the 19 years of struggle for democracy in Ghana with the numerous demonstrations at Bush House against the propaganda for the Ghana government, and want to know which part of BBC he worked for. Whatever it is, he must start counseling the President to discard hiding behind the Facebook concept in an attempt to reach out to the masses. It is not the best means of communication, after all how many people go to Facebook, let alone have access to radio and television, against the fact that one third of the populace is illiterate and semi-illiterate. I expect the President to broadcast to the nation on his return from America or all his major international trips and share his experiences and achievements from the trips, and not go to the Facebook. Ghanaians are waiting for the President to give an account of his trip to America through Parliament and nationwide broadcast and not through Facebook. The government machinery must be seen to be working and not relegate functions to people who do not have the mandate to rule. The opposition must also be encouraged to oppose inimical policies of the government by forming communication teams of experts with briefing by Dr. Bawumiah and colleagues on pertinent issues. Mr. Kwamena Duncan of Cape Coast is already doing well for the NPP and I admire him for his contributions. The important thing is that journalists must ensure that they set a good agenda and right environment conducive for political debates on relevant topical issues involving the best brains and not mediocrity. Over to you Kwame Sefa Kayi, Adakabre and Randy Abbey. You should start putting together teams from both the government and opposition for discussing various issues. Ben Dotse Malor should be engaged to provide the list of Ministers who are eligible to speak to issues in government. All over the world, Ministers of State speak to issues and not untrained communicators. The opposition may also count on former ministers and experts to speak on pertinent issues. May I suggest that Dr. Akoto Osei, Prof. George Benneh, Dr. Bawumiah and Dr. Osei Assibey speak for NPP on the economy. K.T. Hammond, Kan-Dapaah and Kwaku Kwarteng for energy; Professor Christopher Ameyaw and Dr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo for education; Dr. Richard Anane, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, former health Minister and Dr. Kwabena Opoku Adusei of the Ghana Medical Association on health. This could be done for the various sectors too. In the face of the inaction of the Ghana Journalists Association to take up the challenge of growing democracy in Ghana, I implore Kwame Sefa Kayi, Adakabre, Randy Abbey, Kweku Baako, Ben Ephson and Ebo Quansah to sit up and champion the course of democracy in Ghana, in line with the practice in the western world. Alhaji Bature should begin to be patriotic enough to criticize the government and emulate the shining example of Richard Murdock who in spite of his influence was critical. I do not want to believe that journalists in this country, in whom the ordinary person find solace in the face of thieving of state resources by the NDC government and rampant cases of corruption in Ghana are happy with the mess the country is going through, in the hands of President Mahama. I used to use my resources to fight for democracy in Ghana, Why can�t journalists also contribute in their own small way. We need people like Martin Amidu and Prof. Kwesi Botchwey and my good self to fight for the good of Ghana. God bless The Ghana Democratic Movement God bless Democracy in Ghana.