Director of Communications at the Presidency, Koku Anyidoho, says though he is in the dark as to why some Senior Journalists and Editors failed to turn up at the 3rd Edition of President Mills� interaction with the media dubbed �Editors� Forum� held at the Osu Castle, some Editors will never have the privilege of being invited to such programs at the seat of government.
Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako, Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., Host of JoyFM�s Morning Show, Kojo Oppon Nkrumah, Managing Editor of the Ghanaian Observer newspaper, Egbert Faibille, Host of Metro TV�s Good Morning Ghana programme, Randy Abbey, Editor of the Daily Searchlight newspaper, Ken Kuranchie, and King of Radio Morning Shows and Host of PeaceFM�s flagship programme, �Kokrokoo�, Kwami Sefa Kayi were all conspicuously absent at the function.
What is however unclear is whether they were officially invited and or whether they gave notice of their would-be absence.
Koku Anyidoho who granted interviews on a number of radio stations including that of PeaceFM, said he formed the impression and was also convinced that Sefa Kayi, one of the several hosts who interviewed him prior to the function, would be present; but unfortunately that was not to be.
�I don�t know why Kwami Sefa Kayi and others didn�t come even though they were invited but as for Kweku Baako, he sent a text through one of his journalist that he had an appointment and could not make it�,� the Director of Communications at the Presidency said.
He was speaking in an interview with Suhuyini Alhassan on Radio Gold�s �60 Minutes� show on the aftermath of the 3rd Edition of the Editors� Forum.
This year�s annual encounter with the media was on the theme, �Still Building A Better Ghana.� It afforded members of the press (both local and international) the opportunity to grill President Mills who answered questions on the Action Year promises, STX Housing Project, the Woyomegate controversy, the Missing Cocaine/Baking Soda saga, his alleged frosty relationship with ex-President Jerry John Rawlings, amongst others.
Still on the absence of some notable Senior Journalists at the Castle on Monday, the Director of Communications at the Presidency was emphatic that personalities like the Editor of the Daily Searchlight newspaper, will never be allowed into the Castle because of his gross disrespect for President Mills and the presidency.
��I can never vouch for his decency�he has never been invited because he shows open disrespect towards the President�people like Ken Kuranchie will never get the opportunity of being invited�to invite you to insult the President? No way!� Koku Anyidoho stated.
Commenting further on the forum, he said the line of questions asked by some journalists gave the impression that most of them came with a pre-conceived mind. According to him, he invited most of the journalists personally and that was why he called them by their names.
He however added that he intentionally did not pick out Suhuyini Alhassan to ask a question even though he raised his hands because he had already interviewed the President on his network and should have asked all the questions he wanted amswers to.
��the questions went in one direction�out of 27, I can say that 10 of them went one way�if we had given another hour, they would have asked the same question�Paul Adom Otchere said he didn�t have the opportunity to banter with the President; probably he (Paul) didn�t get the word correctly�you want to banter with the President? Where does this happen? The White House?� he asked in a tone tinged with incredulity.
Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com
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