Awuku�s Saga: NDC To Ban Its Communicators From Commenting On Petition Hearing?

National Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Yaw Boateng-Gyan has hinted that its Communication Team members might be compelled by the party�s leadership to cease commenting on the 2012 election petition which is ongoing at the Supreme Court. This is ostensibly to prevent its members from making contemptuous pronouncements on the case following the Supreme Court�s final warning and subsequent punishment meted out to Sammy Awuku, a Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic party (NPP). According to the NDC�s National Organiser, Wednesday�s court decision to ban the NPP Communicator from witnessing proceedings in the courtroom, prompted him to have a brief meeting with the party�s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia. �After Wednesday�s court proceedings, I called on the party�s General Secretary (Asiedu Nketia) to informed him that if its possible, we should call all our media analysts and talk to them on their choice of words,� he said. To him, Sammy Awuku was only saved by the bell to have escaped 30 days jail sentence, thus there was the need to caution the party's communicators. �We will send a strong warning out there. If you are an NDC member and do not take lessons from what happened to Sammy Awuku but you feel so big to make remarks that seek to undermine the authority of the court, and you are cited for contempt,�you will dance to your own tune. Because the NDC will not tolerate such behaviour, we are strongly advising them, (NDC communicators) as well as the NPP),� he warned. An apologetic Sammy Awuku was only outlawed from attending the hearing of the Presidential Election Petition at the courtroom. Sammy Awuku, who was subdued when he appeared before the panel, narrowly escaped being jailed after apologizing profusely and upon intervention from lead counsels for both the petitioners and respondents. The judges gave the ruling after concession by Mr. Awuku that his comments on Peace FM criticising the final touchline warning were offensive.