Felix Mensah Nii Annang-La, the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive has stated that the Ghanaian and international media are the Judges that can aptly measure the performance of the New Patriotic Party and not the opposition.

“It is laughable for the opposition to equate the first year of the NPP government to corruption, when the ordinary person knows what we have done so far.”

Nii Annang-La who was speaking to the GNA at the sidelines of an end of year press soiree that he organised for the inky fraternity in Tema pointed out that “You the media are like the torchlight of President Akufo-Addo, that is why every allegation of corruption against any of his appointees that is reported by the media is thoroughly investigated by the President. Many examples abound, but the BOST 5million litre oil sale allegation and the recent expatriate awards brouhaha are examples which the President instituted investigation teams on.

“You the media being the eyes of the President, ask yourself if this government has really been corrupt; which corrupt government openly investigates allegations against its own appointees?” the MCE asked rhetorically.

He said rather than allow itself to be misled by the opposition parties, the media should independently analyse issues for itself and take a position based on facts and not propaganda.

“Any objective observer knows that this government has been one of the most transparent, because it is a government that moves quickly to investigate its own appointees whenever allegations arise,”Felix Annang-La said.

He said in addition to the BOST and the Ghana expatriates awards allegations, the Akufo-Addo government had also investigated two Deputy Chiefs of Staff over thievery allegations by musician Kwame ‘A’ Plus, where the musician eventually withdrew the allegation.

“The same administration has also investigated an alleged over bloated contract that the predecessor government had signed with an offshore Energy company, AMERI.”

The MCE urged the media to disregard the propaganda by the opposition and rather check the reality of President Akufo-Addo’s government.

The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive thanked the Ghanaian media for playing its watchdog role over the past year excellently, saying in the coming year the Akufo-Addo government would more than welcome more scrutiny.

The Chief Executive commended the media in Tema for their assistance throughout the year and attributed the achievements of the Assembly partly to the performance of the Media

He expressed surprise at the huge crowd that turned up for the soiree and promised to continue collaborating with the media in the coming year to pursue the interest of Tema.

Among them was Mr. Frank Asante, the PRO for the TMA, Dr. Richard Fiadomor, immediate past Presiding Member for the TMA, Mr. Ian Okwei, a media practitioner and government appointee to the TMA and Mr. Patrick Laweh Atitiati, current Presiding Member of the TMA.

Also at the ceremony were Mr. Dominic Hlordzie, Tema Chapter President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Hlordzie who outlined the role of the media in the success story of TMA and acknowledged the commendation of the MCE. He commended the MCE for promising to collaborate with the media in Tema in succeeding years.

He appealed to the TMA to provide the GJA chapter an office for them to hold their activities and socialization there.

On illegal light fishing in Tema, the MCE explained that the practice was in response to the warmness of the water surface as a result of recent oil exploratory activities.