Ghanaian politics have been very dirty since the inception of the 4th Republic and it still continues in the current dispensation? But historians would say, the politics of hatred, lies and dirt throwing preceded the birth of Ghana on March 6th, 1957. And so, what we are witnessing have sprouted out of the negative political seed planted just before independent. Why such hate politics?
Unfortunately for Ghanaians, the very estate that is supposed to keep the citizenry alert with truthful information is the very institution at the forefront of such chicanery. The Ghanaian media which hitherto had been lauded for its crusade against ills of the society have become appendage of political parties and governments.
In the run-up to the 2016 elections, three leading media practitioners in the country alleged that then sitting President, John Dramani Mahama owned a mighty mansion in Dubai, the commercial capital of the United Arab Emirates. The media practitioners were Captain Smart, then of Oman FM; Paul Adom Otchere of Good Evening Ghana fame on Metro TV and Okatakyie Afrifa, then of Happy FM.
Despite the many denials from the stable of the former President, the three journalists managed to turn the issue into a major campaign project against Mahama and his administration. In the end, the object of the obvious campaign of lies was achieved: Mr. Mahama and the NDC lost the 2016 elections in an unimaginable proportion. For the first time in Ghana’s political history, a sitting administration lost more than a million votes: all thanks to the propagandist onslaughts of the three gentlemen.
Today, one of the three candidates in the NDC’s presidential primary, Kojo Bonsu, is ironically, campaigning on the lies waged against the former President by the NPP induced journalists. According to the former Mayor of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, former President Mahama is so discredited by the lies against his persona that it would be a risk, for the NDC to consider taking the former President to the 2024 presidential race.
Although Kojo Bonsu concedes, that most of the issues raised against Mr. Mahama by assigns of the NPP were lies, he still believed it’s appearing to be the truth in the minds of many unsuspecting voters or Ghanaians. He recently re-echoed his stance to the media thus” lies told repeatedly becomes the truth as far as many people are concerned.” More so, when the accuser seems not to have the right message to counter it.
However, one of Mahama’s accusers, Captain Smart of Onua FM has apologized to the former President claiming what he and his other colleagues lied about the fact that Mr. Mahana owned a house in the Gulf City, Dubai. Afrifa, on the other hand has turned the heat on President Akufo Addo and his administration, claiming they had failed Ghanaians. Currently, there’s serious crack in the trident of Adom Otchere, Captain Smart and Afrifa.
Captain Smart and Paul have been trading salvos against each other using their media platforms. The latest spiral of bouts between the two persons were centered on accusations of lies. With Paul still an adherent of the NPP, a turn-coat Captain Smart, accused Paul of being a paid agent of the administration, with Paul also accusing Captain Smith same on his seemingly promotion of the cause of the NDC.
Once, the traded accusations went dirty when Smart told Paul Adom Otchere that he even failed his law school examination; while Paul hit back at Smart in equal manner, if not more. He claimed that the Onua FM Morning Show host has no formal education and dared him to show his certificate to Ghanaians. Such blatant lies against politicians and parties have become a regular feature in the Ghanaian political discourse.
Bernard Allotey Jacob, the former Central Regional chairman of the NDC had to apologize to former President Kufuor about some lies he propagated against the Gentle Giant. In the days preceding the 2004 elections, the NDC machinery made Ghanaians believe that then President had twin babies out of wedlock. They gave the names of the kids as Philip and John; to the extent that the white lady mistress of President Kufuor was about to hit town the kids.
NDC supporters trooped into the Ghana International Airport to welcome the lady, but in the end, it became a wild goose chase. The former MP for Gomoa West, Ama Benyiwa Doe had to concede that most of the things she said against President Kufuor and the NPP were in fact, just “political talks” without basis. To be blunt, lies and lies.
Kwamena Duncan, a member of the NPP communication team and former Central Regional minister also beat a retreat when he was confronted at the parliamentary vetting committee to prove most of the wild allegations, he made against President Mills and the NDC. Like Benyiwa Doe, Kwamena apologized that those were political talk and pranks, meaning simply, lies.
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