The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has condemned the violent attack on the studios of United Television (UTV) by a group allegedly affiliated with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The incident, which occurred during the live broadcast of UTV’s prime time entertainment show, ‘United Showbiz,’ involved a group of individuals described as uncivilized hooligans by the NDC.
The attackers stormed the UTV studios, disrupted the live program, and intimidated the host and her guests.
The NDC claims the thugs were led by the Klottey Korle Youth Organizer of the NPP, acting under the instructions of Ernest Owusu Bempah, a Deputy Director of Communications, and other prominent figures within the ruling party.
In a statement, the National Communication Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, expressed the party’s outrage, stating, “We condemn this shameful act in no uncertain terms, as there can be no place for such uncivilized and beastly conduct in a democracy.”
“Saturday’s event sets Ghana’s democracy back and further erodes our fast dwindling press freedom fortunes as a country.”
He raised concerns about the rising intolerance of dissenting views under the current government and accused the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP administration of attempting to stifle free speech.
He alleged that the attack was incited by the antagonistic posturing of high-ranking officials in the government and the NPP toward UTV and its ‘United Showbiz’ program.
“The senseless attack we witnessed yesterday was clearly goaded by recent antagonistic posturing of high-ups in government and the NPP towards UTV and its flagship ‘United Showbiz’ program,” Gyamfi emphasized.
The NDC further highlighted a letter from the NPP’s National Secretariat, which it claimed attempted to impose an editorial policy on UTV. This was followed by threats from NPP leaders to shut down the station, creating a hostile environment for the media outlet and its panelists.
The NDC called on organizations like the Ghana Journalists Association (GBA) and civil society groups to speak out against these attacks.
The party also urged the Ghana Police Service to conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the incident and ensure all the culprits are prosecuted in accordance with the law.
“We shall be monitoring every development on this important matter and will not accept anything short of justice,” Gyamfi stressed.
