Rejoinder: NPP MP exposes Ursula Owusu's dishonesty

My attention has been drawn to a publication on www.theheraldghana.com, with a dateline of March 3, 2020 and which has been republished by other online news portals, notably www.ghanaweb.com with the headline caption: "NPP MP exposes Ursula Owusu's dishonesty.

This publication is not only false but malicious.

Accordingly, I hereby issue this rejoinder to correct the mischievous attempt by your said false publication to set my person against the Hon. Minister responsible for Communications, Mrs.

Ursula Owusu- Ekuful and to cast aspersions on the character and reputation of the Hon.

Minister with the view to subjecting the Hon. Minister with the view to subjecting the Hon. Minister to public ridicule.

Indeed, the quote which you attributed to me in the said publication does not in any way contradict the position publicly articulated by the Hon. Minister. How you arrived at the twisted conclusion in the lead paragraph of your publication that “The Member of Parliament(MP) for the Sekondi Constituency, Andrew Agyapa Mercer, has contradicted public claims by Minister of Communications and Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful that the continous closure of radio stations critical of the Akufo-Addo government is as a result of the stations having a bad case leading to them being thrown out of court” is not only curios but intriguing.

I recall that on Thursday 27th February, 2020 during the Newspaper review segment on Good Morning Ghana hosted by Dr. Randy Abbey, we were discussing the speaker parliament’s caution to the media houses accredited tp Parliament which had generated some public interest.

A suggestion was made during the discussion that the speaker’s directive was part of the NPP government’s agenda to ‘gag’ the media.

Reference was made to WhatsApp message sent by one Mr. Agyenim-Boateng on the closure of Radio Gold and Radio XYZ as part of that agenda.

I debunked the said assertions and indicated, in response to a particular reference to the issue that had come before the committee on communications to the effect that the mediation process was jettisoned because Radio Gold and Radio XYZ had not met their obligations under an agreement reached with the committee requiring Radio Gold and Radio XYZ to discontinue the case at the Electronic Communication Tribunal. This resulted in the Ministry pulling out of the mediation process.

1. Following the closure of the said Media Houses by the NCA , the said Media Houses commenced an action at the Electronic Communication Tribunal.

2. Subsequently, the said Media Houses made representations to the Committee on Communications.

3. The Committee invited the Ministry, NCA and representatives of the said Media Houses to a meeting to attempt a mediation of the issues.

4. At the said meeting, the Ministry indicated that since Radio Gold and Radio XYZ had sued the NCA, it may be prejudicial to attempt a parallel mediation process during the pendency of the suit at the Tribunal.

5. The committee impressed on Radio Gold and Radio XYZ to consider discontinuing the action at the Tribunal, to enable the committee to facilitate the mediation. Radio Gold and Radio XYZ were given two weeks to discontinue the action and revert to the committee.

6. Radio Gold and Radio XYZ did not meet this commitment.

7. Several weeks after the said two weeks had elapsed without a positive response from Radio Gold and Radio XYZ, the committee was informed by the letter from the Ministry to the effect that since Radio Gold and Radio XYZ had not met the two week timeframe accorded them to discontinue the action, the Ministry was not in a position to continue participating in the mediation process brokered by the committee.

8. This position was duly communicated to Radio Gold and Radio XYZ.


9. This effectively terminated mediation process brokered by the committee and the suit initiated at the Electronic Communications Tribunal by Radio Gold and This effectively terminated the mediation process brokered by the Committee and Radion XYZ proceeded to its logical conclusion and definitive orders made by the Tribunal. This is a matter of public record.

Indeed, my comments on the said issue on the Good Morning Ghana show related to the matter as had transpired at the level of the Committee on Communications.

How any objective and diligent journalist can construe my comments as amounting to

"contradicting the Hon. Minister" and ".. exposing her dishonesty... beats my imagination.

It can only be the creation of a politically jaundiced mind posing as a member of the very respected journalism fraternity.

What the Hon. Minister said in her public statements are accurate representations of the facts related to the issue at stake. My comments were not contradictory of the Hon. Minister's position nor did same expose the Hon. Minister's "dishonesty" as suggested by you.

Your publication is not only scandalous but actuated by malice purely with intent to bring my reputation and that of the Hon. Minister into disrepute and public ridicule.

Accordingly, I am by this rejoinder demanding a retraction of the said publication forthwith and in any event within 48 hours of the service of this letter on you.

I am also demanding, that, you render an unqualified apology to the Hon. Minister and my good self forthwith and in any event within 48 hours of the service of this letter on you.

Please be advised, that If you fail to heed to the demands herein by the publication of same on your medium with the same prominence accorded the original scandalous and malicious publication; I shall reserve the right to seek remedies as appropriate to compel you to do so at the appropriate forum.

I hope you treat this rejoinder with due attention and accord it the urgency it deserves.

You are hereby advised.

Yours faithfully.
Andrew Egyapa Mercer, MP
Member of Parliament for Sekondi
Vice Chairman, Committee on Communications

Source: ghanaweb.com