Opinions of Wednesday, 4 January 2012

Columnist: Dailypost

JOY FM At It Again!

JOY FM is at it
again, packaging a fake anti-NDC government story and presenting it to
Ghanaians as a fact!

The Accra-based
station several times yesterday broadcasted a news item that claimed that a
pressure group called The Generational Youth Movement has dragged President
Mills to CHRAJ over the judgement debt paid to businessman, Alfred Woyome.
The radio station
claimed that the Generational Youth Movement is asking the investigative body
to find out what due diligence was done by the President and his cabinet before
GH¢58million was paid to Mr. Woyome.
However, a quick
crosschecking of the facts of this issue by this paper revealed that CHRAJ has
not received any formal complaint from the so-called Generational Youth
Movement.
Simply put, it is a
palpable lie that the Generational Youth Movement, which to all intents and
purposes is a pro-NPP group has made a complaint to CHRAJ on the matter of the
judgement debts.
Further work done
by this paper revealed that CHRAJ has not really fully resumed operations after
the Christmas and New Year holiday because its office is under renovation. Why
did the radio station refuse or fail to crosscheck the claims of the pro-NPP
group?
JOY FM’s official
website, myjoyonline, as usual skewed
the story to make the President and the NDC look bad.
The website claimed
in its reportage that the payment of the judgement debt to Mr. Woyome provoked
‘a sea of controversy”. This again, is another lie. It is clear to all and
sundry that it is only the opposition NPP which is shouting itself hoarse over
the matter.
Again, the website
described the judgement debt as ‘controversial” even though there is nothing
controversial about it. Mr. Woyome, a businessman, felt short-changed by then
President Kufuor’s abrogation of the CAN 2008 Stadium contract won by a
consortium he led. He went to court and secured a judgement debt in his favour.
Period! He is not the first person to win a judgement debt nor will he be the
last.
Gradually, the
hitherto neutrality of JOY FM is fading, with the station holding itself up as
a pro-NPP media outlet.