The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described the complaint by President John Dramani Mahama that a media cabal is blocking his message as an indication that he is cut off from the reality of the people of Ghana.
The NPP, in its view, believes that the President has enjoyed more media publicity than any other party.
The reason, the party said, was simple: President Mahama’s message of transformation is not resonating because the message and the reality of the situation Ghanaians face today do not accord.
Whatever agenda is put forth by President Mahama, Ghanaians today are greatly appalled at the worsening unemployment, the vast erosion of their purchasing power, the unbearable cost of living today, the corruption and wanton waste of tax-payers’ money.
A statement signed and issued by the Communications Director of the party, Nana Akomea, posited that a good number of radio stations in the country were devotedly committed to President Mahama, so he should be the last person to complain about media space.
The statement said the President’s series of campaign tours, including the “Changing Lives tours parts 1 and 2, Accounting to the People tours parts 1 and 2, and helicopter campaign tour and current campaign tour are all covered by major and minor media across the country.”
Media cabal
President Mahama, the statement said, had complained that some media cabal were blocking his message and deeds of transformation from reaching the Ghanaian people.
A recent survey, the NPP claimed, found that President Mahama vastly dominated coverage in the state-owned media, such as the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Daily Graphic and Ghanaian Times.
“President Mahama’s giant and well-lit dumsor-proof billboards showcasing his agenda dominate billboard advertising in Ghana today,” the statement said.
The last six months, the NPP said, had seen multiple television advertising across the country showcasing how President Mahama’s deeds had brought “aburokyire to Ghana”.
The biggest private newspaper, the Daily Guide, the NPP said, regularly devoted several prime pages to advertise President Mahama and his accomplishments against the half dozen of NDC-inclined private newspapers that devoted tons of ink on a daily basis to promote the works and agenda of President Mahama.
Communicators
“President Mahama’s image and message dominates space on even public buses at great state expense,” the statement said.
In addition, the statement said there was a vast array of well-resourced communicators at the Flagstaff House, the Ministry of Communications and the NDC headquarters who on a daily basis engaged the media to showcase President Mahama’s agenda.
“There can, therefore, be no question that President Mahama’s agenda dominates all media in Ghana, and dwarfs that of all of his competitors combined,” the NPP statement said.
“So if President Mahama’s agenda is still not “reaching the ground”, it cannot be due to some media cabal thwarting his message,” the statement added.
The current blame on the press, the statement said, was not only misplaced but also showed that President Mahama was out of touch with the real situation facing the average Ghanaian today.
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