NPP takes Montie FM to NMC

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has petitioned the National Media Commission (NMC) over what it calls unethical broadcasting at Montie FM, an affiliate station of Accra-based Radio Gold. In a petition filed last Monday and signed by its Director of Communications, Nana Akomea, the NPP accused Montie FM which transmits on 100.1 MHz and host of its ‘Pampaso’ afternoon political talk programme, Mugabe Maase, of unprofessional conduct. The party accused the station of embarking on vicious libellous attacks on its leaders. Attached to their petition was a sample transcription of what they described as “the regular highly libelous vituperation against the person of the NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo” and an audio recording of the programme. Mugabe, who is gradually gaining notoriety for running down the NPP and its leadership, was recently quoted as having told some members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the United Kingdom that the presidential candidate of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, would die by June 2016.

 He was subsequently reported to have promised that if he would have to sacrifice his children for President Mahama to win the 2016 presidential election, he would do so because of what Mahama had done for him. For these and other reasons, the NPP said in its petition that “it seems to us that Mr Mugabe’s programme is deliberately set up and dedicated to the libelous and unfounded attacks on the person of Nana Akufo-Addo.”

That agenda, according to Nana Akomea, was not only highly unprofessional but also unethical since it “could lead all of us down the dangerous path of establishing media solely for the purpose of running down innocent citizens, particularly political leaders, for some dubious political gain.” . “This practice of devoting media programmes solely to peddling untruths about a political leader, if unchecked, will engender other media also devoting programmes to peddling untruths against other political leaders,” the NPP’s Communications Director observed, adding, “this undoubtedly will lead us all down a very slippery slope in this volatile election year.”

The NPP has therefore asked the NMC, which is currently chaired by Kwasi Gyan Appenten, to “investigate this issue and resolve this situation before it gets out of hand.” An NDC Vice Chairman, Harry Zakour, is said to be claiming ownership of the Laterbiokorshie-based radio station. He said Montie FM is his brainchild and that he set it up to project the NDC and defuse what he claims to be the lies being peddled by the opposition NPP. During a campaign tour of Klottey Korle constituency, which was organised for Dr Zanetor Rawlings last year, the former football administrator said: “Let me tell you today; Montie FM is mine. It’s because of what Peace FM is doing, so I set it up to counter the lies and political games NPP was playing.”