The Management of Multimedia Group, operators of Accra-based Asempa FM has suspended one of its on-air staff, Nana Akua Acheampomaa Sarfo-Adu for making ‘derogatory and insulting’ utterances against Former President John Dramani Mahama, ABC News can report.
An internal memo announcing her suspension, sighted by ABC News suggests that the embattled broadcaster has been suspended for one month without pay as punishment for her misconduct.
Nana Akua, while presenting a show on Asempa FM dubbed ‘Kanawu’ on November 11, 2019 used ‘unpleasant words’ against the person of the Mr Mahama, attracting an apology from the management of the media organisation.
While reacting to a video in which the Former President was captured weeding along a road, Nana Akua, who appeared to have been disgruntled by the act, made scornfully abusive remarks to reflect her displeasure at Mr Mahama’s action.
In a viral video, the NDC flagbearer was spotted with a mower clearing the weeds in the middle belt of the ‘Mahama’ Road in front of the new Military Cemetery in Accra because “it was obstructing motorists.”
In a fiery reaction on the show dubbed “Kanawu,” to wit, “say it and die” Nana Akua did not mince words in expressing her displeasure, describing the former President as “pretentious” and “hypocritical.”
She challenged Mr Mahama to go and weed other cemeteries in the capital and other parts of the country that has been swallowed by weeds to prove her wrong that his action was not feigned “for cheap publicity.”
Nana Akua’s presentation however, did not go down well with the National Democratic Congress and some sympathizers of Mr Mahama, who were up in arms about her remarks and demanded an unqualified apology from the Multimedia Group and the presenter.
The Multimedia Group subsequently apologized to Mr Mahama and assured that it has put the necessary measures in place to forestall a recurrence of the “regrettable” incident.
Although Mr Mahama has since accepted the apology, the suspension of Nana Akua pinpoints the media organisation’s resolve to forestall such ‘reprehensible’ conducts on the part of its staff as assured in its apology letter to Mr Mahama.
This is not the first time the Multimedia Group is suspending one of its on-air staff for comments deemed unpleasant against the person of Mr Mahama.
In June last year, the organisation suspended its morning show host, Kojo Yankson for two weeks following his comments against the former President.
Kojo Yankson suffered heavy backlash from the public for allegedly ‘likening’ the former President to an ‘armed robber’ in one of his presentations.
“In referring to the recent media attention over the President riding a motorcycle, receiving a car, and owning a gun, I joked that armed robbers could also get media attention for similar reasons.
“Some Ghanaians have taken offence to this comment, and this is entirely my fault. As a communicator, I ought to understand that people react differently to information, and jokes about any divisive issue – even when told without malice – will not go down well with everyone, ” Kojo explained and apologized in a Facebook post.
