Vociferous Political Activist, Dela Coffie, has alleged that flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and former President, John Mahama is attempting to pull strings to get the NDC back on Peace FM’s political talk show, Kokrooko.
Commenting on the ongoing saga between the radio station and the NDC, Mr Coffie indicated that the boycott was politically suicidal and it is refreshing that the leader of the NDC is taking steps to get the NDC to call off the boycott, stressing that the boycott was childish and inimical to the NDC.
“A few months ago I made a point to mention the ongoing tussle between Peace FM and the NDC communications directorate as politically suicidal for the latter. I added that, it is puerile for any serious political party to boycott a huge media platform like Peace FM in this info war era and political season. Well, it is little over five months after the boycott and grapevine accounts has it that NDC leader-John Mahama is attempting to pull a few strings to get the party back on the Peace Fm platform,” he wrote.
While applauding the former president and flag bearer of the NDC for taking such a move, Dela Coffie added “sometimes I wonder if the current managers of the NDC communications directorate really understand the times that we are in – I wonder because everything about their actions and inactions is a strict partisan loyalty, without consideration of common sense”.
Background
In May this year NDC announced its boycott of the programme over claims of bias in the empanelling of persons for the political talk segment of the programme. But Peace FM seemed unperturbed by the boycott and went on with the programme seemingly unhindered.
Then they were speculations that the NDC had engaged in behind the scenes lobbying to be allowed by Peace FM on the show again. But National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi maintained that the boycott still held and the NDC had no intentions of returning to the programme and had not begged to be on the programme again.
But in a letter addressed to the General Secretary of NDC, the management of Peace FM, while taking blame for the misunderstanding that led to the boycott, is appealing to NDC to call of the boycott.
“The management of Peace FM, the mother station of Despite Media, wishes to state that we are not at loggerheads with the NDC…Since the inception of Peace FM on May 25, 1999, we have had a mutually beneficial relationship with all political parties, including the NDC…However, in recent times, there has been a misunderstanding between us and the NDC in relation to the panelling of the discussion segment of the Kokrokoo show”.The management of Despite Media, acknowledges responsibility for whatever misunderstanding that has arisen between us and the NDC in recent times. We, therefore, urge the NDC to let sleeping dogs lie and allow harmony to reign and return to the Kokrokoo show. As agents and stakeholders of development, we may agree to disagree, all for the sake of Ghana, our motherland,” the letter read.
But some NDC supporters have urged the NDC to boycott the radio station for good and never return.
