Coomson Dismisses DFP Leadership

The Chief Executive Officer of the Chronicle Group of Newspapers, Nana Kofi Coomson, has urged the media to dismiss Dr. Obed Asamoah and his colleagues until they demonstrate a genuine departure from what he called ‘the unrepentant character of being the enemy of the press’. He said Obed Asamoah,, who is now courting the press and demanding as well as insisting on media coverage to promote his party DFP, was the same person during the NDC regime that swore never to have the criminal libel law repealed.

According to him, “This is a man who swore consistently that, the criminal libel laws would not repealed, but over his dead body”.

Nana Kofi Coomson was addressing journalists and the public at the inauguration of the newly-elected executives of the Brong-Ahafo branch of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in Sunyani.

He advised that Nana Akufo Addo’s position as a genuine advocate of human rights and press freedom should serve as an example for lawyers of the ilk of Dr. Obed Asamoah.

Mr. Coomson said that he was surprised that Mr. Kofi Asante, who resigned as a member of parliament and was later found in the camp of the NPP, where he was made a member of the board of VRA, should suddenly emerge in the camp of DFP as their spokesman. Asante, is on record to have assisted the NPP during the last elections in his constituency, but NDC won the seat.

According to Coomson, Kofi Asante who was a very effective and brilliant spokesman on energy when he was in parliament, cannot be taken seriously just like Obed Asamoah, who is now biting the hand of Jerry Rawlings, who made him who he is by giving him two of the most powerful portfolios, Minister Foreign Affairs and Minister of Justice and Attorney General. He said journalists must also question the integrity and sense of loyalty of Madam Faustina Nelson, because she is also a rolling stone, which gathers no moss.

The publisher said his personal take on DFP as it seeks to take political power is that members should demonstrate a clear departure from that of their founding leader, whose stripes are that of an unrepentant enemy of press freedom. The Chief Executive Officer of The Chronicle Group of Newspapers, asked Ghanaian journalists to help the public make informed choices by researching into backgrounds and evaluating past records of public office seekers.

He noted that journalists have, however, failed in doing the necessary research and evaluation of public office seekers. Other guests at the inauguration included the Brong Ahafo regional minister Mr. Baffour Awuah, NPP Regional Chairman, Nana Obiri Boahen, the regional Coordinating Director, Mr. Annan, and representatives of NDC.