<<Print>>

The Abodakpi For Chairmanship Campaign Team has assured media practitioners that Ambassador Abodakpi highly respects them and has consciously built a good relationship with the media over the years. The team explained that Mr Abodapki had a clear understanding of the important and critical role of the media in promoting national development and would be the last person to denigrate media practitioners, especially at a time that he needed them to promote his vision for the ruling party. According to a statement issued by the Upper West Regional Co-ordinator of the Abodakpi For Chairmanship Campaign Team, Mr Ahmed Mankama, the attention of the Upper West Regional Campaign Office of Dan Abodakpi, an aspiring National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, had been drawn to a publication in the Saturday, July 19, 2014, issue of the Daily Graphic with the headline, �Upper West Media snubs Abodakpi,� which was subsequently published on the paper�s online portal. Report The report stated in part that journalists who attended a scheduled interaction between Ambassador Abodakpi and the media in Wa on Thursday, July 17, ignored the aspirant when the meeting had to be rescheduled three times and accused him of not being time-conscious. According to the statement, the report is inaccurate and the accusation unfortunate. To set the record straight, the statement said the NDC regional co-ordinator for the campaign team scheduled the interaction with the media at 11a.m., after a meeting with the regional executive of the party at their regional office. Engagement The statement explained, however, that the journalists arrived around 9a.m. and the organisers were duly notified of their presence. The organisers informed them that the aspirant could only meet them at 11a.m. at the scheduled time. According to the statement, some of them requested to sit in and cover the meeting with the party executive but that request was not granted because it was a closed-door meeting meant to discuss the party�s internal matters. Around 10a.m., the statement said, after waiting for an hour, the journalists requested to leave since they had other engagements, and agreed to a rescheduling of the meeting to 4p.m. the same day at the GNAT Hall, where the aspirant was to meet with party delegates. The journalists, according to the statement, arrived at the GNAT Hall around 3:30p.m., at a time the aspirant was still meeting the regional delegates and heavy weights in the party, who had turned up to exhibit their commitment to his one-team spirit vision. Delegates The statement said while the meeting was winding to a close with the question and answer session, the journalists demanded that the aspirant should end the meeting with the delegates and meet the media. According to the statement, the regional campaign co-ordinator had to plead with them to be patient since the aspirant had to address the issues raised by the delegates adequately before ending the meeting but around 4pm, the journalists became impatient and left. The statement said for the report to indicate that the aspirant was not time-conscious was inaccurate, while the accusation by the Upper West Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association, Mr Bajin Pobia, that Ambassador Abodakpi showed gross disrespect to the journalists was unfair and malicious. According to the statement, Ambassador Abodakpi, who has served in many positions in government, highly respects media practitioners and has built a good relationship with them over the years. Critical role With a clear understanding of the importance and critical role played by the media in national development, Mr Abodapki, the statement said, would be the last person to denigrate media persons. "As much as we remain committed to the cordial relationship with the media, we call for circumspection, fairness and objectivity in media reportage to avoid unnecessary sensationalism," the statement stressed. The statement further expressed its profound gratitude to the over 200 delegates from 11 constituencies in the Upper West Region, particularly the elders who expressed their confidence in the vision of Ambassador Dan Abodakpi; and having shared the vision with them, they believe it is time for the leadership of the NDC to change the baton to re-energise and rebuild the party for the benefit of its members.