General News of Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Source: The Catalyst
Obviously frustrated by the merciless manner the press sympathetic to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been on his trail, exposing his shady deeds and sexual escapades, former President Kufuor has openly indicated his hatred for the newspapers, describing them as “propagandists.”
Mr Kufuor was answering a question by Kweku Sakyi-Addo at a recent media encounter.
The former President who said he does not believe in too “much ideology” said “I won’t buy such papers,” adding that those around him would bear him witness. He however said he is forced sometimes to “take account” of the content of these papers when listening to radio talk shows.
In question obviously meant to spite the so-called NDC newspapers, as usual, which also could qualify as a stage-managed question, Kweku Sakyi-Addo mentioned The Democrat, Ghana Palaver, The Lens, The Crystal Clear Lens as examples of papers he wanted to solicit the view of Mr Kufuor on.
Kweku Sakyi-Addo’s choice of only papers from the section of the media that have been constantly attacked and vilified, and attempts made by Mr Kufuor and his NPP to collapse them, was enough to leave no one in doubt he was doing his masters’ business as usual.
Mr Kufuor’s pain as far as the pro-NDC press is concerned is understandable. This section of the Ghanaian media has not ceased to give him sleepless nights by constantly keeping the spotlight on him, exposing many of on his dishonest deeds that came to their notice.
Mr Kufuor apparently is peeved about the fearless manner the papers he expresses hatred for have been on his trail, making sure he and his party’s clandestine acts are brought to light. The NPP and its agents have on many occasions tried to buy members of the section of the media Mr Kufuor has launched his blistering attack on. Many editors of these Newspapers have been approached by agents of the NPP both in the past and present times to strike deals that would favour Mr Kufuor and his party but failed.
Whilst in power, Mr Kufuor was widely known to have thrived on propaganda. His government had thrown lots of dust into the eyes of the people of Ghana using the mass media and several other channels including NPP’s appendage groups. His referral to the section of the press he has attacked as “propagandists” is thus hypocritical.
15 billion cedis of the taxpayers’ money meant for the payment of the TOR debt was used by the erstwhile NPP government presided over by Mr Kufuor to pay journalists to do propaganda for him and the government.
The NPP government used deceit, subterfuge and plain lies to play on the intelligence of the people of Ghana. When the people found out the truth, the NPP was voted out of power in the 2008 general elections that brought the NDC government led by President John Evans Atta Mills to power after 8 years stay in opposition.
Mr Kufuor’s description of the section of the press he hates with the venom of the cobra as propagandists does not surprise those of us on The Catalyst. Like his former mistress, Gizelle Yazji said, he will deny anything including his own blood, his twin boys, resulting from his affair with the Serian-Lebanese former advisor of his.
The paper is not surprised that Mr Kufuor, being the black pot that he is, will decide to refer to the kettle as being black.