Over the weekend during the 34th anniversary of the International Central Gospel Church, founder, Pastor Dr Mensah Otabil had told his congregation that rather than focusing on discussing and finding solutions to the numerous problems confronting the country, Ghanaian media choose to wallow in ceaseless political discussions all-year round.
Pastor Mensa Otabil said the media in Ghana are so “depressing” and full of “mediocrity” – a situation, he said, compels him to prefer watching foreign TV channels that show documentaries about animals rather than wasting his time listening to local radio or watching local TV stations.
The revered clergyman took swipe at the media for extreme partisanship and plain mediocrity.
“You listen to our national conversations, you wonder: are we serious? We eat and drink politics… Turn on radio; here [Ghana], there is no political vacation. From the time the vote is cast to the time the next vote is cast, we argue politics morning, afternoon, evening”, he said.
But it appears the clergyman’s words did not sit well with one of Ghana’s top media CEOs- owner of one of Ghana’s biggest radio stations Citi FM - Mr Samuel Atta-Mensah, popularly known as Sammens.
An avid social media user, the CEO of Citi FM, who is also the Vice President of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) wrote in a post which has since been deleted, “I hear one pastor is talking about the “sorry state” of the Ghanaian media. Please tell that pastor to tell the whole Ghana on the same pulpit about the state of the church in Ghana today. I will continue with the post next week Sunday.”
Mr Atta-Mensah was referring to Pastor Dr Mensah Otabil’s viral comment about the “depressing” and “mediocre” state of Ghana’s media landscape which he (Mr Atta-Mensah happens to own and run one).
With the post deleted, it remains to be seen if the influential CEO still has a promise to keep “next week Sunday”.
Source: mynewsgh.com
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People should mind what they say for it come back to bite them. Sammens, the pastor was right. Some of the journalists have been moving from station to station campaigning for some parties and peddling lies about some of our prominent people. Media must be responsible. May be that could have reduced the rate at which churches are extorting monies from innocent people.
Am getting disappointed in this nation and its leaders. Instead of working to make life better for its citizens, all they do is to redistribute existing jobs to unqualified/ incapable foot-soldiers who do nothing but create imaginary enemy and spend all their working hours strategizing to conquer those silly imagery. You have all the powers of this land to enforce laws, rules or even your views as a president singularly legally and even by non legal means such as moral suasion. Can our President start working and stop these ***barred word***? Well if you do not know our problems let me try listing some to you MR President. 1. Indiscipline on our roads. Your Appointees use sirens to push their way through the messed roads each day. Without Sirens, the Trotro drivers us pavement and any other forms of tactics to create traffic by packing at the edge of the buss stop rather than entering so they can deny all their colleagues from picking other passengers. 2. Sooo many bad roads remain just at they were when we sacked Mahama and your appointees are doing noting not even to fill them up with soil. 3. District assemblies still do not give permits unless you have bribed some middle man to get a permit for building or setting up your business 4. The police are still begging us at check points for "Something for the boy" openly 5. I need not talk of the insecurity and robberies. 6. Even when you have started "Planting for food and jobs" Food stuffs are more expensive now and Ghana has become more expensive without added value than many other African Countries, so the Nigerians for instance now flood Gh with their cars rather come use our poor Transportation system. 7. Chiefs are still engaging in multiple sale of a single land because, your appointee at Land Commission has not solve any problem as we had with JDM days so we are in the same old mess. 8. Ghana is still smelling and dirty even though you for the very fist time in Ghana, have a sanitation minister Well Mr President, these are just a few things you need to focus on NOT the Imaginary enemies you and your people are creating. Mind you, there are lots of people out there on my kind who do not bear party cards and voted because we want to depart from way things had been in this country. I can personally feel, that you are loosing the votes of my kind and i know your foot-soldiers will come advising you that " Dont mind they, they cant change anything at the elections" be more worried when people stat saying "lets keep quiet and not say anything" I rest my case..
Sammens or what ever u call yourself, why did you delete your post? isn't the Clergyman speaking the truth? what has your presenters presented over the year? economic or political issues. ***barred word*** being, come again.
Master, Otabil is right! It is disgraceful for you to refer to him as "that pastor". How dare you! He is more intelligent than your whole clan. Most of our journalist have the pea size brains and are errand boys for politicians.Which right thinking country have 4-5 hours of newspaper review every morning and 3-4 of political talk shows every evening? We have ministers of state, MPs and other public servants wasting public time and resources on sens.eless media shows. We probably have more FM stations that KVIPs. Otabil keep watching animals.
Listen to ***barred word*** Atta Mensah
it is very true, what has the media been able to offer? your presenters cannot even speak the queen's language. They are not well educated. Yes, so rather than looking at the your media, he prefer watching animals and if you don't know what he is referring, he is talking about national geographic. Get a life. You have made media very boring. Accept it and correct your mistakes.
THAT MEDIOCRE CEO RUSHED TO REACT BY ASKING A QUESTION THAT THE PASTOR WANTED HIM AS A MEDIA TO TALK ABOUT AMONG OTHERS. YOU SEE YOUR MEDIOCRE REACTION VINDICATE THE VENERABLE PASTOR.
The citifm boss said he heard that one pastor said. When he considered what the pastor said to be important to him to warrant his comment shouldn't the citi boss have checked and ensure he got the full text of what he wanted to comment on. I said so because his concern had been equally addressed by the pastor in his sermon. He talk obout the negative impact of some of our church, media and cultural practices on the confident of the Ghanaian making it impossible to rise up and say I can do it. So you see if the citi boss had done the basic check required in journalism he could have avoided this embarrassment he has caused himself by now deleting his post. Sometimes when the average man approach issues this way u want to give themail a pass but when notable people do it you wonder the motive. I had read citi boss profile many years ago when he was at joyfm and he wrote to imply pastor otabil is his role model. I feel even when we fall out with people who once have helped us one way or the other we must do it with honour. In my view the citi boss just confirm what the pastor was talking about.
Samens come again. Listen to the full tape before you make any comment.
Wow! Dr Otabil is 100% right. What the CEO is saying is NOT new. The Bible says by their FRUITS, they shall be known. Isn't Dr. Otabil very different among all Pastors? Ghana must work again and it takes leaders like Dr Otabil to point out our troubles and show the way forward. Kudos DR Otabil.