Kweku Baako: I'm Being Charitable Because I Respect The President...He Got It Wrong

Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako says President John Dramani Mahama goofed in the use of �lazy� to describe the nature of radio morning shows in the country. President Mahama during a meeting with senior editors and executives of the Ghana Journalists Association at the flagstaff House described as lazy the kind of morning shows that are run on radio platforms in the country. The President said the sensational nature of radio in the country makes it difficult for pertinent issues affecting the ordinary Ghanaian to be highlighted. He therefore urged hosts of the morning show to reduce the amount of politics discussed on the airwaves and rather focus on developmental issues. Abdul Malik Kweku Baako is of the view that though the President might have meant well in what he said, the use of the word lazy put him in a bad light. �I feel that the President�s choice of words to describe the format of newspaper review programmes was inappropriate. The word lazy was not too helpful for the President; especially for people to appreciate the point he was trying to make�� Contributing to panel discussions on Peace FM�s morning show �Kokrokoo�, Kweku Baako said the President would have spared himself the criticisms had he explained himself in a more appropriate way; adding, �the President got it wrong�. �The President perhaps exaggerated the negatives he perceived and the use of the word lazy was inappropriate and I am being charitable (because I respect the President). I think the President got it wrong in the way he described the morning show programmes because a lot of issues are discussed; not only newspaper review. To use lazy is unfair to the host and producers of the morning show", he intimated. Meanwhile government has come to clarify that it was not the intention of the President to vilify media practice but rather enhance government�s partnership with the media.