ADAKABRE, TIKESE BEG NANA

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Two private radio presenters, who were at loggerheads with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over allegation of bias, have rendered unqualified apologies to the party’s flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The party’s decision to boycott radio programmes hosted by Adakabre Frimpong Manso on Neat FM and Kwame Nkrumah Tikese of Okay FM - all belonging to the Despite Group - on the basis of bias, has apparently created a row between the party and the two gentlemen, who the party says had been using their media platform to consistently denigrate its flagbearer for no apparent reason.

Adakabre even went further to provide canon folder for the opponents of the NPP flagbearer when he claimed on radio that Nana Akufo-Addo threatened him with death, only to recant it and apologised profusely after causing maximum damage to the man he had consistently denigrated on radio at any least opportunity.

Joy FM Encounter

Adakabre last Monday granted an interview to Joy FM, in Accra, claiming emphatically that Nana Akufo-Addo personally heaped abuses on him and also threatened his life; and insisted that he had since kept the threatening words on his mobile phone.

The Neat FM man, who had stints with Adom FM and Hot FM, narrated to ‘Super Morning Show’ host, Kojo Yankson, how the NPP flagbearer put his life in danger.

He said at a press soiree at the standard bearer’s residence in Nima, “Nana Addo abused me and threatened me. I was so sad. I was so scared that I kept quiet because I didn’t want to be the fall guy through which something happens and they would say it is because of Adakabre, so I kept quiet.”

“I was afraid because I had several text messages flowing from that incident. I was told to the face that ‘you will be killed’ at a specific date.”

Father Confrontation

He claimed that it went on to the extent that “my father had to confront Nana Akufo-Addo in Kumasi. He said, ‘Nana Addo, stop intimidating my son’”

When asked who specifically threatened to kill him, Adakabre said, “I have them on my phone.”

When asked again if he reported the threats to the police, he replied, “I’ll never report it to the police.

“So long as I am prepared to be fair and balanced on my shows, the NPP should also stop putting me in a scary situation. I have all the evidence; I can substantiate them…I have everything on my phone. I would be willing to show them to anybody who wants to see them.”

Dramatic U-turn

But in a sudden turn of events, Adakabre said he did not claim on Joy FM that Nana Akufo-Addo threatened to kill him either through a text message the flagbearer had sent to him or abused him.

He said on his programme on Neat FM, “I did not allege on Joy FM that Nana Akufo-Addo says he will kill me (Adakabre) either through a text message or told me in the face.

“Conversely, Nana Akufo-Addo has not sent any text message threatening to kill me. He has not opened his mouth to tell me he will kill me.”

Motive For Interview

Adakabre Frimpong Manso averred, “The main body of the interview…the intention was not because I did not like Nana Akufo-Addo and therefore I had set out to destroy his reputation or dreams so that his opponents would use that as a basis to tag him as violent and intolerant.

 “Whoever relies on that statement is doing so at his or her risk. My intentions were not that.

“Flowing from the fact that Nana Akufo-Addo did not send me any threatening text message or threatened to kill me by word of mouth, any inconvenience brought about as a result of these and any inconvenience suffered by Nana Akufo-Addo, are deeply regretted.”

He claimed he was going to write a formal apology letter to Nana Addo.

Tikese Apologises

Later, Kwame Nkrumah Tikese also said on Okay FM that he was rendering an unqualified apology to Nana Akufo-Addo and the entire NPP family for “whatever mistake” that happened.

“I render an unqualified apology to the entire NPP family and in particular to Nana Akofo-Addo and his running mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the MPs the supporters and our listeners.

“Whatever mistake that happened, we ask you to forgive Okay FM and Tikese,” he said. 

Adakabre Must Go

In the ensuing debate, Chief Executive Officer of Accra-based Citi FM, Samuel Atta Mensah, is encouraging the Despite Group to sack Adakabre from Neat FM for dragging the name of the station into disrepute.

Angry-looking Atta Mensah, fondly called Samens, told TV3 that Adakabre had continuously exhibited unprofessionalism toward the NPP flagbearer and his party and appeared to have justified it when the party decided to boycott his programme.

 “What he (Adakabre) did was the lowest any presenter will go to,” Samens said, adding, “That is …..to justify the posture he had taken against a particular political party. If I were running that station, that would have been his last day.

“If I were running that station, he knows, I would have dismissed him immediately…all politicians, regardless of their political affiliation, should condemn this Adakabre boy.”