HOT AUDIO: NPP chairman fights journalist over “SOLI”

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO BELOW

“In fact media plays major role in a country’s development very much….like I said on a certain platform this morning that like today being the World Press Freedom Day assuming no media house; radio, tv station, online, newspaper and other social media outlets works for just today, that’s when the world will feel the effects of the media practitioners, so you are not the kind of people we should downgrade or belittle…. but you people I have a very big problem with you! yes! I have a problem with you….when it comes to bashing people verbally for wrongdoings especially bribery and corruption, you do it in gossip manner and, well, I see it as you are just executing your duties but when we talk of corruption, you’re all involved…. this morning your colleague at your sister station disagreed with me when I raised that….. you see, it is good that you people condemn bribery and corruption, but my worry is, you guys have renamed it as ‘soli’, … that ‘soli’, what is it? is it not also bribery and corruption? and you people don’t see anything wrong with it……why should you come to my program, and after the program you expect me to give you transportation to go…..why? is it not the responsibility of your media house to cater for your transportation?.”

The above statement from the Cape Coast North 2nd vice chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ato Sam Apinyah, who was a panelist on Elmina-based Ahomka FM’s late afternoon current affairs show dubbed “The Citizens’ Platform”, which was monitored by *ghananewsonline.com.gh* , did not go down well with the sit-in host, Kojo Ata Kakrah Abrowah, affectionately called ‘KAKA’ as he verbally ‘jumped’ on him to retract the statement that ‘soli’ is a bribe.

The host, who sounded furious said, “no I won’t allow you to go ahead with that…. please…never!  how can you term a transportation you give to someone you have invited to a program as bribe?…….please it is not, but maybe there is an education you need about it. Look, using myself for an example, if you invite me to your program I make sure I come with my in and out t&t, so whether the organizer gives me something or not I go my way, and I’ll make sure I do the story as well, whether I’m given something or not… but there is no way I will be on the person’s neck to by force give me something…..so for you to term it as bribe or corruption or whatsoever, I won’t agree with you. Note that it will be a corruption only when the said money induces or have influence on the publication.”

KAKA, who did not want the chairman to progress with his statement explained further that, “it is not everything that we the journalists say on air about you the politicians, because even you, whenever your leaders call you to party meetings; a meeting to discuss the development of the party you claim to be strong member of, you expect your leadership to give you transportation….. it’s been on several occasions that we see party supporters agitating over “soli”…….…and you invite me, not a member of your party, to come and cover and publish your, for example party event and term the transportation a bribe?…..then if I heard you well, it means serving me water and food at the event too will be bribe because to you, it is my media house which is suppose to give me water to drink when I come there….again, you are making me believe that monies that politicians and other event organizers sometimes give to chiefs, resource persons and other invited guests to their programs for transportation are all bribe, if not, then why that to someone who after the program go home and crack the brain and keep vigil to writes and prepares the story’s become bribe…..please rescind on that statement.”

The NPP chairman who seemed not to be convinced with the host’s explanations further revealed that, some correspondents of media houses outside Central region often tell event organizers that their stories would not be published if they did not either give them money or give them small money “Abrowah, I knew you would defend and argue and with me if I raised this issue because you the journalists do not want people to condemn your unprofessional acts….but some of your colleagues who claim to be correspondents to so called big radio stations, one of them told me this morning that before his story is published, he must give some money to his editor….. is that where to go? that’s why I’m saying you journalists are among the bribery and corruption and you don’t want us to say…why should an editor collects money before he approves story to be published?….. those who annoy me most are the ‘gate-clashers’ (the uninvited) they heckle you as if you are owing them and you are here defending it?…..I’m saying and will always say it is corruption so you should stop it.”

James Nunoo, a member of the Central Regional communication team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who was also on the program jumped into the argument and asked the NPP chairman to retract the corruption tag saying,  “how come a transportation I give to a journalist becomes a bribe…..now, what is the motive behind the money given? is it to divert the story or a token for transportation? so Sam I disagree with you totally….. yes indeed we have bad nuts in the media landscape but for ‘soli’ to be termed as bribe, I’m sorry, because me, I often give my friends who are journalists money when I meet them; not necessarily inviting them to my program.”

*advice*

They, in their last submissions then commended media men and women in the country for their tremendous contributions towards the nation’s development and urged Media house owners to pay their employees well.

“It will surprise you to know that some of the media men and women here in the country and even it region are not paid so as we are celebrating you today, we urged your bosses to seek to your welfares,” Ato Sam Apinyah concluded.

“Most of you deserve huge salaries, considering the kind of work some of you do in the region….but one thing is sometimes because the owners do not want to spend more money, they just go for anybody with low educational background, without knowing any media ethics but just because the person can speak English or Fante fluently, so such a person can not demand more from his or her boss as salary because for all you know he or she is just a JHS graduate…… so please you should also upgrade yourselves to deserve better renumeration,” James Nunoo advised

Source: ghananewsonline.com.gh