You would agree with me that no individual serves as the repository of wisdom. Permit me to draw your attention to some unpardonable statements and comments you have made about the Information Minister, Mrs. Zita Okaikoi since she assumed office.
Ato, your write ups against the Information Minister and many other highly placed government officials and other equally important people in my estimation is a desperate effort of a “wannabe”.
I read quite a lot of your anti-Zita articles when she was nominated by the most important personality on our land, His Excellency the President of Ghana, Professor John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills and clearly your agenda was to ensure that she never got the nod but your write ups did not go far enough, she was given the nod by the representatives of the people.
Ato, I will have hoped that after your failed bid you would have channelled your energy into more productive write ups that would make our country better.
I am particularly opprobrious of your reckless description of people who have individuated themselves in society.
Ato, I hope you know that the cardinal principle in journalism (that is if you are practicing this noble profession) is reporting the “FACT” in a decorous and civilized manner.
I want you to know that, no individual has monopoly over foul language. I clearly deduced from your articles that, you employ notoriety as criteria for popularity.
A close appreciation of our customs and values as Ghanaians would sufficiently support the claim that this practice is "un-Ghanaian". My fear is that your access to huge platforms such as Myjoyonline, the face Book, the newspapers and your webpage, is a sure way of infesting our society with this culture of impunity, which is foreign.
Now to my main issue, one thing that was obvious from your piece “Zita turns to facebook” was that, you just wanted to criticize and compare when you knew there was no basis for such a “voodoo” analysis; why was it because your “enemy Zita” is being innovative?
I was quite surprised when you stated in your article that the Minister sent you a friendly request since if my memory serves me right I had heard you during the newspaper review on Joy FM express your eagerness to chat with the Minister. Though I would be surprised if she did such a thing, this move is an indication that the information Minister still believes that even seemingly weak minds and detractors have something to offer our society.
This statement makes me believe that you were even more enthused by the thought of you chatting with the Information Minister since you realized that your unending efforts in getting to her by those fallacious articles are yet to get audience.
Also in your attempt to eat humble pie and prove a tough skin you just felt like using your God -given talent to plant mischief since this is someone you have portrayed not to be innovative.
Ato, I am tempted to believe that either you have a personal score to settle or you have been paid to discredit the Information Minister because you stated in your “anti-Zita” article that “She has been the ‘quietest’ information minister we’ve seen in this country in at least 10 years. Perhaps you want her to be as loud as “Asabee” who told Ghanaians to eat “Kokonte and mango”.
I will like to know the number of radio stations you listen to in a day and also do you mean to say that if you don’t hear a Minister on a multimedia network then he/she is not talking?
I wish to inform you that the era in which your beloved Joy FM used to enjoy the monopoly is over and the Minister gives prominence and respect to all radio stations and other media organizations in the country.
More so personalities like you working for Joy FM is discrediting the credibility of the station and the earlier something is done to salvage the situation the better.
Ato, you further went ahead to say that the Minister hardly talks on difficult issues, explains government issues etc and that she leaves it all for her able deputies.
Ato, are you aware that in modern day Public administration and management, delegation of power is very integral and if that is what you are accusing her of doing, then I must say kudos to her. In any case the media is not all about radio stations and that the Minister has used several platforms at her disposal to speak for Government in all the 10 regions. Don’t forget she is not the “Minister of Information on radio stations in Accra”. Do you want all the three Ministers at the Information Ministry to jump from one station to another in Accra addressing or reacting to issues? Or you want her to start calling radio stations for interviews. Ato, grow up!!!
Ato, you would again agree with me that, one of the basic things we learnt in journalism school is to put in inverted commas, seemingly harsh words we intend to use to describe a situation or a person in position of trust. This basic ethic in journalism was completely missing in your write up.
For a minute when I was reading your article I thought you were in the state of insobriety. You would agree with me that everyone can engage in vitriolic critique but it takes the sagacious and tenacious individual to decouple himself from mendacity and rather engage in constructive critique.
Take some time off and read other articles, you would then appreciate what I am saying. In fact other columnist use worst and more “crazy” words than you do but they put them well. Don’t assume that your readers are gullible enough not to detect these errors or they are things you really mean to say.
You would agree with me that, nobody sets the agenda for the Information Minister and she is not under any obligation to be on facebook, it was a personal decision she took to reach out to the facebook community.
Also, your quick conclusion that it is possible she would not be doing the answering herself is extremely outrageous and I get the impression that it’s possible you don’t write your own articles (considering your talks on Joy FM I really doubt your ability to write some of the things I read).
Also I guess the facebook platform created by the Ministry has not got a single account but all the three ministers have different accounts, so I wonder the basis for your primary thinking that that someone would be behind the PC for the Minister.
Isn’t it surprising that your employers have never found it necessary to give you at most an hour platform on air?
And I will not be surprised that if not for the labour laws and your perceived affiliation with some power brokers in multimedia you will have been kicked out since you are an apology to modern day journalism and broadcasting.
You have been a member of the multimedia family for years now and one would have expected that you would have learnt from the likes of Komla Dumor (Boss player), Akwasi Sarpong, Matilda Asante, Evans Mensah, Araba Koomson, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, Bola Ray etc, unfortunately you are still wobbling under the feet of these presenters who hitherto should have been your colleagues or subordinate behind the microphone.
After all, it is not about how fast you talk but how sensible you can communicate in this era when airtime is expensive. This is possibly the clearest indication that immediately you are through with your infantile newspaper review programme your day with the Ghanaian media ends.
All you know is that democracy is for loud mouths and because you have one you think you are qualified to participate in our democracy.
Ato, for your information, the Minister has an incontrovertible educational background; she attended good schools like Archbishop Porter Girls, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the Ghana Law School.
In terms of working experience she was once part of the Multimedia family where she was the presenter of the “Mobitel Traffic Watch” as far back as the late 90’s when you Ato were still in Essikado L/A Primary School struggling to go memorize your rhymes, she also runs her own business and worked with a reputable law firm immediately after she graduated from the prestigious Ghana Law School.
She is happily married for 11 good years and has a pretty daughter who will forever be older than your first child.
The last time I checked you hold a Diploma In Communication Studies from the Ghana Institute of Journalism(GIJ) that was in 1999 and let me inform you that GIJ is currently running a top-up programme so you can enroll and get a degree.
I suggest you use your God given talent in a more dignifying way instead of just attacking personalities and let me tell you that for the Information Minister she is a woman worth her sort and I pray that you achieve her feats.
Thank you.
Prince Kumah
pkumah89@yahoo.com
Source:myjoyonline.com |
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