The North - East Regional Communications Bureau of the NDC takes strong exception to Citi Tv’s Friday, April 23, 2021 8:00pm news report on the performance of the first hundred days of the two NDC MPs in the region.
We strongly disagree and have expressed our disquiet with the methodology used to have reached at that warped and weird conclusion.
We have come to none other conclusion but that Citi TV and it's affiliates have an agenda to malign and set up the constituents of Bunkpurugu constituency and Nalerigu - Gambaga constituency against their MPs. We are aware of one Maxwell Suuk (Citi TV/FM Reporter), a known Protege of the NPP Regional Secretary and Former North East Regional Minister, who has been recruited to do the hatchet job of the NPP in the region.
According to the unprofessional report on the assessment of the NDC MPs, they were lowly scored in their performance in the first hundred days in office. The report which was compiled by Mr. Maxwell Suuk, the Citi TV/FM Correspondent for the Northeast region can best be described as one which is malicious and intended to malign the two NDC MPs in the Northeast region. We must state that they are six (6) constituencies in the region of which the NDC holds the two (2) constituencies under review, i.e., the Bunkpurugu and the Nalerigu – Gambaga constituencies.
Therefore, we find it highly disturbing and intriguing that Citi TV chose to report on the first hundred days’ performance of only constituencies that are held by NDC MPs in the region, whereas leaving out the other four (4) constituencies being held by NPP MPs. What could be the reason behind the use of such discretion particularly in that negative report?
Interestingly, it is worthy of note that the Citi TV correspondent who compiled the report never visited any of the two constituencies in person but had video interviews conducted in the constituencies for him. We are also aware that many of the people who were interviewed spoke positively about the performance of the MPs.
The many constituents interviewed in Bunkpurugu for example, spoke positively of their MP, regardless of which a negative reportage was aired. Whereas in the Nalerigu - Gambaga constituency, only known apparatchiks of the NPP were lined up and interviewed on this supposed hundred days' assessment without the input of the Member of Parliament for the area, the many notable chiefs, our revered Imams and other important opinion leaders. How can you describe the lame unprofessional work as an assessment of an elected public official? In fact, it is nothing but some yellow journalism.
Although we still hold the opinion that Citi TV/FM is one of the most credible media organizations in the country, recent developments in our various constituencies involving Citi TV’s reportage gives cause for worry and raises a deep sense of concern as well, that the management of Citi TV/FM must immediately check and put into proper shape the integrity and professionalism of its editorial team and that of their Northeast regional Correspondent.
Latently, concerns of a certain sinister campaign, at play, against the NDC MPs in the region have been trickling in and we want to assure that we will stand up to quash that agenda.
The MP for Bunkpurugu constituency outlined inter alia to the Citi FM Correspondent, the achievements of his first hundred days in office as follows:
1. facilitated 16 scholarships for tertiary students in his constituency;
2. facilitated the employment of 26 youth from his constituency into permanent jobs
3. Purchased a motorbike for the quality improvement officer of the GES in the district; 4. Purchased electricity for the efficient running of the district office of GES;
5. Facilitated the payment of NHIS arrears for many health facilities in the district;
6. Facilitated Government’s absorption of the Nakpanduri Presbyterian SHS; and also being coordinator of the Adat community water project to drill boreholes in order to address the water crisis in his constituency; Etc. Yet most of these achievements never found expression in the skewed report.
As stated earlier, the MP for Nalerigu – Gambaga constituency was not contacted at all to give account of his first hundred days in office, albeit it is a known fact that a free medical screening program was launched at Kulgona and aimed at covering all communities across the length and breadth of the constituency when sadly and unfortunately that very day, the MP for the constituency, Hon. Alhaji Baba lost his first son who was a medical student in a gory accident at KNUST – this stalled the process.
More so, as part of the Adat community water project, so many communities have already been surveyed and earmarked for boreholes to be drilled for communities deprived of potable drinking water in the Nalerigu - Gambaga constituency.
Regrettably, The NDC MPs' hundred days performance has not been pitched against their four colleagues in the NPP in the region, who are also first time MPs nor has that been done against their predecessors in their first hundred days in office in the 7th Parliament.
In conclusion, we call on all well meaning constituents of Nalerigu - Gambaga and Bunkpurugu constituencies respectively; and, people of the North - East Region at large to disregard and to treat the jaundiced and skewed reportage of Citi TV with the greatest contempt it deserves. However, the NDC in the region still stands as a friend to the media and will remain opened for dialogue with the media at any material point in time. All we want is to have a fair, candid and balance reportage on issues in the region since that is the only way we can forge ahead with the development of the region.
Thank You!
IMORO ABDUL-RAZAK
RCO- NER
0245371809
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