I am surprise at the media outcry about what happened at Asempa FM on “ekosii sen” show on Wednesday, 22 Febuary. My grand mum ones said “Ghanaians like sensationalism but we are afraid of trouble”
Are we saying we don’t know what normally happen on “ekosii sen”? Let us be truthful to ourselves, and call a spade, a shape and not a spoon. Apart from unsavoury comments, reckless statements, deliberate misinformation and persistent fabrications from the NDC communication team on “ekosii sen”, the host, Kwabena Bobie Ansah, also sometimes cast aspersions on Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP. There are overwhelming examples and some of us don’t only listen to shows but we put down certain things that transpire on various shows for posterity.
I have always said, I like Bobie’s style too but honestly, he is going over board. He insults callers and panelists on his show. And, to an extent that he sometimes says “take your professionalism and I will take my unprofessionalism” Have we not heard him say this several times?
Asempa FM does not belong to either the NPP or the NDC. I want to repeat my call; the NPP communication team should not boycott “ekosii sen”
If an NDC panelist denigrates the leader of the NPP, and you, the host deliberately fail to intervene, you should not expect an NPP panelist to sing sweet songs when it gets to his turn, and vice versa. Political hosts are also part of the unnecessary tension in this country and it’s not only the politicians. They should be told in their faces and let us stop blaming only the politicians. There are very good political hosts and journalists is Ghana, why should a few belligerent hosts and journalists disturb our peace?
What happened at Asempa FM yesterday, Wednesday, 22 Febuary should not be a surprise. Bobie Ansah said that “this year, 2012 is the last year and they will go gutter to gutter” The management of Asempa FM, Malik Kweku Barko, Alfred Ogbamey, Kwame Sefa-Kayi, Alhaji Bature Iddrisu and other friends of Bobie Ansah should go for the tape of January 3, 2012 from Asempa FM. That tape is pregnant with mischief. It also contained the question “where was Nana Addo on 31 December” and an innuendo. The next day, January 4, some pro-NDC newspapers said Nana Addo was dancing “azonto” at Tema on December 31 and they made baseless allegations which I would not repeat.
Below was an article I wrote, title “Bobie Ansah, “the pot calling the kettle black” and it was published on Ghanaweb.com and Spyghana.com on Thursday, 12 January, 2012. Because of what happened at Asempa FM yesterday, I think it would be appropriate for that article to be re-published. We need to learn and move forward in the right direction. The last but two paragraphs of the article below was the declaration of Bobie Ansah.

BOBIE ANSAH, “THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK”

Last year, on three different occasions I tried writing an article about certain unacceptable deeds and comments made by Mr. Kwabena Bobie Ansah, host of “ekosii sen” on radio but for some reasons I decided to ignore those comments. Unfortunately, needless comments made by him on January 3 and 6, 2012 ignited this article from me. Before I proceed to the crust of my article in a jiffy, I want to state categorically and unequivocally that this article is not about Asempa FM, neither is it an attack on the person of Bobie Ansah nor the show he host. It is about unsavoury comments, aspersions and insinuations often made by him. Usually, before he introduces his panelists among other things he wades into politics unnecessarily and sometimes he cast aspersions on some individuals. There are litanies of examples that I can enumerate and I have them on record but for some reasons I will restrict myself and respond appropriately to his recent comments. I personally like him for his raw talent and occasionally the humour in his show but he is gradually consumed by petty politicking.

And did I hear Bobie on January 3, 2012 say “Franklin Cudjoe, Kwesi Amakye, Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso, think tanks and some members in the Peace Council who have hidden under civil society organizations but do politics should come clean?” With the greatest of respect if someone wants to say this, surely it should not be Bobie Ansah. The pot calling the kettle black! Indeed, we are living in interesting times. I am also not suggesting what he said is true. Though your bias is overwhelmingly obvious nobody has asked you to declare your stand in politics. Let us assume a civil society organization is working for a political party and comes out with a report or an argument which is inferior what prevents the government or the opposition from exposing the flaws in that report or argument with a superior argument? I think this enhances democracy rather than insults, vilifications, aspersions and lies in a section of the Ghanaian media. One person who corroborates fabricated stories from the Ghanaian lens, the Daily Post and the Informer newspapers is Bobie Ansah. He has thrown the word “discretion” in journalism to the gutters. Mr. Bobie Ansah, I hope you have read how Andy Kankam your bosom friend has described Kwesi Amakye in a derogatory and intemperate language which is not worthy of mention. And Andy Kankam editor of the Informer tabloid because he has no shame, he had the audacity to ask President Mills how he felt about a “dream insult” from a distinguished minority leader, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu at “meet the press” organized by the castle on Monday, January 9. We need special patience to endure this deliberate hypocrisy and deceits.

Mr. Bobie Ansah on January 3, continued to rant and said editors of peacefmonline, myjoyonline and citifmonline have sat down unconcern whilst vulgar languages are traded on their websites. And went on to say this will bring violence to Ghana. On January 6, he added Ghanaweb and continued to say the tribal comments and insults going on are what will destroy the country. He therefore said Dr. Mensa Otabil and Archbishop Duncan William should speak to editors of peacefmonline, myjoyonline, citifmonline and Ghanaweb. Wonders they say shall never end. In principle, I agree with Bobie that there are unsavoury and tribal comments across some online sites and I condemn it vehemently. But unsavoury comments, tribal comments, aspersions and incitements that emanates from you (Bobie) are equally disheartening if not more. I strongly think you should be spoken to yourself before they go to those editors.

Was it not Bobie Ansah who insulted Alhassan from Ashaiman, a serial caller that if he (Alhassan) was not properly brought up he should not bring his irresponsible comments to your show?
Again, last year during the strike action by medical doctors, Nana Addo was responding to a question from the media. And he opined that if the NDC government says President Kufuor’s administration did not live money to implement the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) then President Kufuor should have left his more intelligent ministers to implement the SSSS too. A panelist was making his contribution on his show on October 17, 2011 and a supposed neutral host, Bobie rhetorically asked the panelist if he has not heard Kweku Ananse about “intelligent” and “non intelligent” statement? He went on to say Kweku Ananse(s) are the whites in the country. This subtle propaganda is also dangerous, Bobie! Fred Agbenyo, a member of the NDC communication team for political expediency does not appreciate the difference between “intelligent” and “more intelligent” on one hand and “intelligent” and “non intelligent” on the other hand and you (Bobie) exposed yourself in that unnecessary propaganda too. Yet the pot wants to call the kettle black? God have mercy!

I have also not forgotten the reckless statement you made on October 31, 2011 that “people are preparing the minds of Ghanaians for violent, like Samuel Awuku attacking the Electoral Commission (EC) and calling the Inspector General of Police (IGP) a thief” Those were blatant untruth Bobie told his listeners. I listened to Samuel Awuku when he contributed on Adom FM and he never attacked the EC neither did he call the IGP a thief. If the NDC propagandists decided to twist what Mr. Awuku said should you sing the same song?
The annoying and very unfortunate comment he made that same October 31 was that “when you look at the demeanour of Kufuor, Mills and Alan you can say he (they) wont do it (violence) but when you look at the demeanour of Rawlings and Nana Addo he (they) will do it (violence)”. And that 80% or majority will say that. I am more inclined to believe it was deliberate he mentioned the names of President Kufuor, Alan Kyerematen and President Rawlings. Any objective analyst will tell you there are two strong contenders for election 2012 and they are Nana Akufo-Addo and President Mills so mentioning Kufuor, Alan and Rawlings was only a subtle propaganda. Now for his false and misleading assertions to stand, he persistently plays portions of a tape that Nana Addo says “all-die-be-die” and plays another tape that President Mills says “Ghana will not die…” After all these things Alhaji Bature on Monday, January 9 attacks the integrity of the affable Kwami Sefa Kayi. To be fair to Bobie he attempted to intervene though.

I heard Felix Kwakye Ofosu and Kojo Twum Boafo on January 4, 2012 on “ekosii sen” say IMANI Ghana only repeat comments of the NPP. And they (IMANI) should stop pretending to be neutral. I have also heard Bobie Ansah make several comments which were similar if not same to comments of the NDC. Mr. Kwakye Ofosu and Mr. Twum Boafo are you also going to tell Mr. Bobie Ansah to stop pretending to be neutral by your logic?
Peter Boamah Otokunor on January 6, 2012 on the same platform said Franklin Cudjoe is doing a better job for the NPP than Nana Akomeah and should be considered for the Communication Director. Mr. Otokunor by your logic too, I think Richard Quarshiegah, Propaganda Secretary of the NDC should relinquish his position to Bobie Ansah, host of “ekosii sen”. We were all in this country when Bobie declared on January 3, that “this year, 2012 is the last year (to election) and they are going gutter to gutter”. And that “he is already on the ground so he fears no fall”. This is the mind set of a host to elections 2012. Yet you claim you do not do politics. Are we safe? The Almighty God will speak!

I will not and I cannot dictate how Bobie Ansah should do his work, and I hope he was also not dictating to editors of peacefmonline, myjoyonline, citifmonline and Ghanaweb on how they should do their work. I believe fair criticism is one way of enhancing our democracy. The media, especially those who personally wade into politics on their platforms should also tolerate criticisms. He who wants equity must come with clean hands. The pot cannot call the kettle black!

God bless us all.

Solomon Kabu (solomonkabu@yahoo.com)
0241133727