There was an unusual movement by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) last Thursday evening when a squad from the unit stormed the studios of Asempa FM over a panelist�s allegation that the Ghana Armed Forces are angry with President John Evans Atta Mills and could be planning something sinister against him.
When the unexpected landing of the security operatives in the premises of the Accra-based radio station was sensed by the discussants on the programmes, Justice Annan, the source of the allegation, was swiftly provided with exit route out of the premises.
Justice Annan was recently axed from the staff roll of The Informer, a viciously pro-Mills and Blue Gate newspaper, following his demand that some top political figures be removed from the corridors of power.
He had authored and made a number of articles and pronouncements in his paper and on air respectively, which was considered scathing by government, which it (government) though he was working for. As the event unfolded, the security operatives could not lay hands on the man they sought. It was not immediately known what the mission of the squad was but it could have likely entailed taking him away for questioning at the CID headquarters.
The security operatives had been ordered to the location after the content of the discussion was relayed to the country�s top security capos.
Justice Annan, when he took his turn during the evening discussion programme, observed that President Mills has attracted wrath of the military over unfulfilled promises. The peeved armed forces are so angry that, according to him, the President�s photographs which by convention are placed in key command offices, have been removed, with some displaying the photographs of the former Commander-in-Chief.
If only the Commandeer-in-Chief could fathom what the soldiers have up their sleeves for him �he would find for himself a metal headgear on hat, �he reportedly said figuratively on his radio submission.
The programme by this time had hit a crescendo and within minutes of its being aired, calls from the Castle and even from an unnamed military officer were received by the producers. One of the calls was said to have emanated from the President�s own Communications Director, Koku Anyidoho of the �Spio my foot� infamy. His call to the station was to complain about what for him was a deliberate attempt at inciting the military against President Mills.
An unsavoury precedence appears to have been set by this development, signaling the possibility that very soon, security operatives storming studios and newsrooms of media organizations would be a feature of politics in the country.
Government reaction to seemingly unpleasant disclosures in the media have largely been in the form of rejoining to same and even complaints to the Media Commission.
Perhaps, a new chapter is being opened in government/media relationship.
Justice Annan was eventually �captured� by the CID yesterday for his statement. It is obvious that his submission during the discussion programme caused copious disquiet in security circles. The handling of the subject by the security operatives would underpin government/media relationship in the coming months and even years.
On Friday, the National Agenda Morning show of �Oman FM�, suffered telephone interruptions and raised cynical suspicion that the development was tendentious as a way of curtailing the largely scathing text messages from callers.
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