Nana Kwame Bediako, the prominent business tycoon who recently announced his presidential ambition under the New Force banner, is facing hurdles in his political journey, with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) allegedly impeding his progress.
After the cancellation of his New Force convention, slated to be held at Independence Square, Bediako disclosed that his scheduled interview with Ghana Television (GTV) has also been abruptly cancelled, purportedly due to orders from higher authorities.
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The interview, originally set for January 16, 2024, on GTV’s morning show, aimed to provide Bediako with a platform to address the Ghanaian audience, outlining his plans for the country and explaining why he believes he is the right choice to lead.
Expressing his disappointment, Cheddar took to social media, stating, “We are sorry to announce that my interview with @GTV_Ghana has been cancelled at the last minute by “orders from above”. This has brought back memories of The Convention. #TheNewForce The Voice of the people”.
In response to this development, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, the Convenor of the Fix The Country movement and an activist, criticized the alleged interference in the media landscape.
In a post, Barker-Vormawor emphasized that state-owned media, including GTV, should not be treated as the government’s “petty cash” or used as a tool to deny a platform to individuals with differing views.
Barker-Vormawor highlighted that such actions contradict the constitution, which explicitly rejects state-sponsored propaganda. He pointed out the irony that the NPP had previously sued the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) for similar reasons, with President Akufo-Addo himself being one of the NPP’s lawyers in that case.
“The State-owned media is not the President or the Government’s petty cash; or private propaganda machinery. They cannot order it around nor use it to deny a platform to others with a message contrary to the Government’s,” Barker-Vormawor wrote.
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He went on to underscore that the actions of the NPP, accusing them of doing worse than what they accused former President Rawlings of, whom they had previously criticized for similar practices.
The controversy surrounding the cancellation of Nana Kwame Bediako’s interview with GTV raises concerns about the freedom of the media and political expression in Ghana, prompting activists and observers to scrutinize the actions of the ruling party.
