Prof Kwame Karikari of the School of Communication Studies of the University of Ghana, has criticized the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for failing to demand accountability from the current government.
He opined that the NPP has failed to hold government to task on critical issues affecting Ghanaians.
According to him, “in our country now, the opposition parties are asleep” adding that, the NPP is occupying its time “by eating each other up rather than targeting all the exposé the media houses are doing.”
He also said the NPP appeared unconcerned about pertinent national issues.
The former Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) opined that this posturing by the NPP seems to suggest that “they are waiting to perpetrate the same thing but there are leads for them to use for their campaign and they are not interested.”
The NPP has been criticized for their constant boycott of national programmes. The latest was their decision to boycott the National Economic Forum which was organized by government for all stakeholders to deliberate and find effective ways through which the country’s economy could be revived and stabilized.
The NPP defended their decision saying, their invitation was delayed and government did not give them enough details on what the forum will entail therefore, they did not have adequate time to prepare.
They also boycotted the swearing in ceremony of President John Mahama because according to them, the 2012 general election which declared him President was rigged and the case was being contested at the Supreme Court.
Worthy of note is the boycott of the vetting of Ministerial appointees. This action did not sit down well with many Ghanaians who were of the opinion that their presence would have ensured an effective and rigorous vetting exercise which would have resulted in the approval of competent persons to serve in government.
The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has also on several occasions accused the NPP for constantly criticizing the policies and decisions of government with proffering alternative solutions to solve the nation’s problems.
Prof Karikari has therefore, charged media houses to take up the task in the seeming absence of opposition parties to carry out this duty.
Speaking at the West Africa Contract Monitoring Network forum organized by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Prof Karikari stated that the media “should make sure the masses are interested” in issues directly affecting their lives “so that they can cast their vote or express their views in so many different ways.”
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana