The Unfortunate OBUASI Incident
Yesterday, reports on some unfortunate standoff between the military detailed at AngloGold Ashanti and some youth of Obuasi, was widely circulated. The reports had it that the weapon wielding young people had invaded the concession of AngloGold Ashanti, which ensuring skirmishes led to the death of eight people, with several others injured. In a response to the unfortunate incident, the president, who was in the Ashanti region for Otumfour’s Akwasidae commemoration, ordered that an investigation be conducted into the incident. He further asked that AngloGold Ashanti foot the medical bills of persons injured, aside from taking up the burial cost of the deceased persons. While this is not the first time this standoff has happened in Obuasi between Anglogold Ashanti and indigenes of the town, it is noted that the fallouts from this violent invasion have been far-reaching, given its death toll and the ensuring pockets of reprisal attacks that have followed.
When journalistic standards are thrown to the wind.
While monitoring the media for more details regarding the matter, I came across a video of one journalist with the Media General Group, Captain smart. In an apparent show of aggression and incitement, he could be seen calling on the young people of Ghana to invade Anglo gold Ashanti’s concession, ‘‘in their numbers’’. According to him, doing that will help them assuage their hardship and hunger. He further launched a scathing attack on the company and Ghanaian leaders for condoning some unorthodox mining practices by AngloGold Ashanti.
This gentleman has consistently made spurious and scandalous allegations against officials of the erstwhile administration. In most cases, some of these allegations have been accompanied with personal attacks, insults, denigrative and tribalistic sentiments. He has mastered the craft and art of appealing to populist sentiment using rhetoric that appeals to the everyday struggling young people of the country. This ill-earned following has been used as a weapon to demonize individuals, including colleagues and employers, he has worked with in the past. Truly, there has been nothing ethical about the kind of journalism he has practiced, and despite a few brushes and sanctions from the National Media Authority, his modus operandi has continued unabated and untamed. A lot more of us are yet to see a journalist who can be this bitter, abrasive, and abusive, on early morning TV programming.
While I am not directly accusing him of causing the mayhem that has led to the dead of some eight persons and many injured at Obuasi, I have no doubt that his sustained utterances and attacks against Ashanti Gold Mines has contributed to the current mis happenings in the area. His emotionally charged videos, which has him calling on the youth of Ghana to enter Anglogold Ashanti’s concession, could potentially inspire many vulnerable young people to take the laws into their hands. I hope the investigations that will be conducted into this matter will take a clue from his utterances. Truly, given the timing and the circumstances surrounding this incident, it would not be out of place to have Captain smart invited as part of the investigation.
Why is Media General Looking On?
Being a subsidiary of one of Ghana’s media conglomerates, the Media General, one would have thought that Onua TV’s notorious host would be brought to order and tamed. Unfortunately, the contrary has been the case. The rate and spate at which he has gone with his rather unethical approach to journalism convince all well-meaning Ghanaians that his employers are very much satisfied with him. Personally, I have expressed disappointment with the Group, especially as its owner is said to be an ICGC pastor. I have always wondered whether the kind of content Captain smart produces is one that the man of God will delightfully recommend to his church members. At the very least, continued exposure to captain smart leaves one more aggressive, pensive, bitter and agitated, as he knows how to manipulate and leverage people’s sentiments.
State Institutions
The Media in Ghana per chapter 12 of Ghana’s constitutions enjoys freedom and independence. However, such freedom and independence are not meant to serve their parochial and political interests. In the wisdom of the proponents of the constitutions, the freedom and independence of the media are guaranteed only when they further the public interest. In more explicit terms, the constitutional rights and freedom that media operators and journalists enjoy are punctuated if it is serving some interests other than that of the nation. In the view of many, it seems the self-regulation benefit of doubt that the constitutions grant media operators are being abused, as they are unable to bring their own employees to book when they fall foul of the existing laws. It is on this score that I call on the state institutions that have the power to ensure sanity in our media space to rise to their responsibilities. Truly the powers of the state must be brought to bear on this.
Conclusion
I have had cause to discuss some of the challenges that President John Dramani Mahama, will have to contend with. I have cited how the seemingly religious and partizan dimension that 2024 elections took will, in turn, derail some of his efforts at achieving his reset agenda. Notwithstanding my own reservations about how daunting the resetting agenda would be, I have no doubt that a bigger part of the President’s duty is how to tame the excesses of some interests who have attributed his massive success at the polls to their efforts. By this, I mean some members of the clergy, traditional leaders and media, who have touted themselves highly as contributing to President Mahama’s massive and decisive victory. In this very instance, I have every reason to believe that, unlike the previous administration, which appeared intolerant of some of these waywardness, this administration will probably accommodate same, in the interest of maintaining a reputation as being tolerant. In the specific case of Captain smart, I do not anticipate a situation where any of the leading officials of this government will attempt to call him out. Without a doubt Captain smart presents a very curious case and instance for justifying whether the new administration is sincerely committed to and be minded by their widely accepted resetting agenda. I would like to applaud state institutions and officials of this government who will take on some of these cases that could fast wipe away the good will of President Mahama’s second bite at the presidency. Some of us will be watching closely how these investigations, as requested for by the president, will address the perennial incidence of violent attacks and reprisal between Anglogold Ashanti and the people of Obuasi. We listen, we do not judge.
Media /Communications Consultant