Radio Stations Must Ban 'Jobless' Serial Callers

A former Director- General of the Ghana Health Service and a staunch CPP member, Dr Agyemang Badu-Akosa is seeking an immediate ban by media houses of jobless serial callers who contribute to political debates on morning shows and other talk shows. Dr Akosa said most serial callers who call in to radio programmes to contribute to the national discourse are “unemployed people” who are being sponsored by political parties to propagate their parochial interest. Dr Akosa accused the media, especially radio stations, of jumping into political discussions, which he says does not bode well for national development. He admonished media houses to focus all talk shows and morning discussions on developmental issues. “I am one person who accuses the media of jumping into the political frame and is creating problems for this country instead of setting development platforms. All talk shows must be on development, if you want to ring in, ring in and talk about development issues because politics should be conducted in the Parliament house, sub-committee levels and district assembly chambers not in the radio station”. “As far as I am concerned phone-ins on political programmes must stop because the kind of people who are serial callers are unemployed, they are funded and they have very little tolerance for diverse opinions...people should contribute to development and not on politically hanging on every word that somebody says”. Speaking on a diverse of issues on the Citi Breakfast show on Thursday, December 2, Agyemang Badu-Akosa, who is the CPP’s shadow Minister on Health, Education, Youth and Sports said the wrangling in the ruling NDC government is not healthy for the development of the nation. Dr Akosa said President Mills is surrounded by people who are not in tune with his vision, thus the attacks on him and his style of governance by members of his own party. He called on critics of the President Mills-led administration to stop their attacks on the President. These attacks, he says, are negatively impacting on the President’s Better Ghana Agenda. He added that President Mills is having a difficult time in power because he has been abandoned and has no control of the party he belongs to. “I have a lot of respect for him but I tell you he is surrounded by people who sadly I don’t believe are not in tandem with...I mean at the end of the day are not singing the same song with him”.