Opinions of Thursday, 1 August 2024

Columnist: Rockson Adofo

The unprofessionalism of Ghanaian journalists on the alleged 'Agyapadie' document

File photo File photo

This Wednesday morning, July 31, 2024, one of my WhatsApp contacts forwarded a video clip on a discussion of a supposedly “Agyapadie” document by a Ghanaian TV programme presenter and a well-known guest called KKD.

This guest claims to be a professional journalist. He is a known critic of President Nana Akufo-Addo and his NPP government for both good and bad reasons.

I had barely watched the video when I typed the following message to the sender: “I have my reservations about the document in question. Who crafted it, and for whom? How did it become public knowledge? Where was it obtained from? Could it be a diversionary tactic for campaign purposes? I can’t tell, but I'm still inquiring before I add my voice. Can you volunteer information?”

After watching the video, I texted the following message to him: “Yes, I believe so. How could they harbour such plans and document them, risking the fact that they could possibly become public knowledge one day? Thank you. I will then add my voice at the appropriate time. How I wish I could find the video on the Agyapadie as discussed by the two journalists to be able to share my views about it.”

I needed the YouTube link to the video to be able to publish it alongside whatever candid view I would be expressing. Luckily, I found it after a few minutes of searching on YouTube.

The sender texted me as follows: “I was sure it was part of NDC’s grand scheme to undermine and destroy NPP, so I quickly checked YouTube to verify, and this is what I found.”. What he found is the version by Okyehene Osagyefuo Nana Amoatia Ofori Panin.

I replied, “Yes, the NDC is capable of executing such nonsense to deceive the Ghanaian public.”

Now, let Ghanaians understand that the said Agyapadie document is not any genuine document authored by the alleged Akyem mafia with the ulterior motive of holding themselves supreme, richer, and more powerful over all other tribes in Ghana.

Assuming without admitting that it was authored by them, who among them crafted it and for whom? Where was it kept, and how did it manage to come out from wherever it was into the public domain?

Who from outside the Akyem family laid hands on the document and then made it available to the public? What was the intention of the person revealing the document to the public? To expose the diabolic nature of the alleged Akyem mafia and cause them public disaffection and hatred?

If KKD, that bitter destructive critic of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his NPP government, were a professional journalist, he would have asked himself thorough critical questions and answered them intelligently as an apolitical professional journalist before coming on air to share his views about it.

Will the Akyem people in government, or at Akyem Abuakwa Palace, write such a document knowing that if it were ever to leak, it would go against them?

Could they not execute such an agenda, if they really entertained such an idea, without putting it into writing? Did they document the idea of serving their offspring and descendants as a perpetual plan to be followed to continually make the Akyems great and superior to all other tribes in Ghana?

How did KKD and his host lay hands on the document? Did they get it from the palace archives of Akyem Abuakwa or from a saboteur within the family?

I quite remember when the NDC once circulated a similar document intended for the destruction of the Ashanti businesses. They attributed the authorship of the document to President Akufo-Addo and his alleged Akyem Mafia. That document was widely circulated to create tension between the Ashantis and the Akyems in government. Nevertheless, it turned out to be a hoax. It was crafted by the NDC to create Ashanti hatred towards President Nana Akufo-Addo and his family members in government in order to finally collapse the NPP government and party.

They are doing it again with this fictional, nonsensical, and a figment of imagination with the Agyapadie document.

The NDC has members, agents, and assigns like Kwasi Kyei Darkwah (KKD) and the programme host, among many other journalists in Ghana, to spread their fake news.

It is only people who don’t reason and have a brain the size of a peanut who will believe KKD and his ilk.

The document is pure nonsense crafted to deceive the Ghanaian electorate and the public into voting for Mr. John Dramani Mahama and the NDC in the 2024 election.

For their failure to produce credible policies and programmes but balderdash like the Agyapadie issue, the NDC will lose the election. They are worthless as a party to be voted in to rule Ghana.

The proud and audacious son of Kumawu/Asiampa will take the NDC and their rogues on by exposing their fabrications and shallow-mindedness, unbefitting of politicians aspiring to rule Ghana.

Fellow Ghanaians, please be open-minded and approach issues with levelheadedness.

Shame on the perpetrators and perpetuators of such silly fabrications.