It is an undeniable fact that the Ghanaian media space is highly-biased towards political parties and other interests. However, it is true that some media houses are very fair and report the issues exactly the way they are; a reputation they have built over the years. Among the media houses in Ghana with such credible reputations is Metro TV.
Good Evening Ghana is a current affair programme on Metro TV that is lauded by most Ghanaians especially the urban class. The programme is also believed to be one of the few programmes viewed by foreigners, diplomats and other top dignitaries in Ghana. However, many viewers has criticized the host of the programme Paul Adom-Otchere for turning the programme into something else lately.
With no respect to viewers from different religious backgrounds, Paul since January 2016 has turned the current affair programme into a non-denominational church service where miracles and prophetic declarations dominate. Like movie scenes, well-rehearsed for shoots, the actors often did not wait for the director to say 'action' before the actors began taking their lines.
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| Special publicity notes only designed for prophets |
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| Another publicity note designed for a Prophet |
What is troubling however is the significance that Paul, the host of Good Evening attaches to the evening show anytime a Prophet is coming on as a guest. Sometimes, such meetings with prophets are announced several weeks before the event while viewers often wait till a Tuesday or Thursday night to find out what is on Paul's menu when a prophet is not coming on the show.
On Thursday the 1st of November, 2016, many Ghanaians were disappointed with Paul Adom-Otchere for dragging the programme in the gutters of bias and cheap political propaganda aimed at projecting one candidate in the 2016 presidential elections of Ghana.
One prophet Owusu-Bempah who was a guest on Good Evening Ghana programme said so many things that a man of God would be least expected to have said. The said acclaimed man of God said so many things that could warrant for his arrest and questioning. Worst of it was that the president of Ghana has blood on his hands and because of that God has already rejected him and chosen his candidate Nana Akuffo Addo as the next president. A symbolic Ghanaian personality according to Owusu-Bempah was killed and his blood was on the president. He also talked about Prophet T.B Joshua as lower in the spirit and that he was the source of T.B Joshua's prophecies. Speaking in a local dialect, Prophet, Rev. Dr. Owusu-Bempah also accused the chair of the Electoral Commission of planning to rig the upcoming elections for the president. He strongly warned the chairperson of the Electoral Commission before saying that T.B Joshua is in Ghana to spiritually rig the elections for the president, a claim the Nigerian prophet had denied via social media because he nowhere near Ghana and knows nothing about the elections in Ghana.
As an American living in Ghana for the past 3 years, this so-called prophetic declarations were not surprising to me at all. I have seen worse things on Ghanaian media all in the name of the Lord Almighty. However, I expected the host of the programme to ask the so-called Prophet some questions on the subject of Christianity the failure to which made me believe Paul had join the partisan reportage that has bedeviled the Ghanaian media.
Firstly, I expected Paul to question the so-called man of God on the subject of humility as the Bible teaches. The extreme arrogance displayed by Owusu-Bempah was just too yesterday for today's Christianity. Secondly, does an Omnipotent God need the services of a man of God to carry out the ousting of a president he claimed was already demoted by God? Thirdly, why didn't Paul educate the man of God on elections and the fact that they are won at polling stations? Why didn't he explain to the man that Accra is just a national collation center where only addition of votes are carried out and final results declared?
Why didn't Paul question the man of God like he did when interviewing President Mahama, Nana Akufo-Addo or Sole Woyinka in the previous interviews episodes? The so-called man of God also said he prophesied that the American election and the two main candidates before they even won their candidacy. Again, Paul did not only succeed in disappointing me but losing my respect for him and the media house he represent. According to the Owusu-Bempah, he predicted that the contest was going to be between a man and a woman long ago. Does Paul know that there are two women (Hillary Clinton & Jill Stein) and two men (Donald Trump & Gary Johnson) contesting this year's American election? Or could it be that Paul is certain about who will win the American elections but needs to make consultations on the Ghanaian election and its outcome?
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| Paul on air sipping a Ghanaian-made juice: A craze of the opposition party |
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| The juice is known widely in Ghana as Kalyppos |
The excitement in Paul's face anytime a prophet comes on the show is unbelievable and his appetite to bring them on a current affairs and a political show to predict the winner of the elections is so unprofessional. One would have thought a person such repute built through years of journalism will know more about his work and be more critical in asking questions and ethical in carrying out his professional duties.
Many Ghanaians are beginning to doubt the professionalism and fairness of Paul Adom-Otchere in carrying out his duty as a broadcast journalist. Few months ago, Paul went very tough on the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei when the commission announced a re-branding process ahead of the 2016 elections. He continously used the pronoun 'she' for the commission indicating his attack on the chairperson as an individual and not the commission as an independent institution made up of people appointed by different governments over the years.
'Why is she re-branding at this time? Is she unilever, is she metro-tv, or is the electoral commissioner DHL'? Why is she re-branding ahead of the elections? etc he said.
I still feel disappointed in Paul for those comments because I still don't know why he went so personal on this issue. As a host, I thought one is often expected to mediate on issues and present a critical and unbiased conclusions to the viewers?
Well, I don't intend to draw my conclusions on this matter. I expect Paul to redeem his image as soon as possible and make amends where necessary.
The role of the media in the Rwandan genocide should remind media practitioners that they have a responsibility to play in the affairs of a nation.
Peace
Jake
Well, I don't intend to draw my conclusions on this matter. I expect Paul to redeem his image as soon as possible and make amends where necessary.
The role of the media in the Rwandan genocide should remind media practitioners that they have a responsibility to play in the affairs of a nation.
Peace
Jake
