Loyalists of Joseph Kofi Adda, a group of ardent supporters of the Navrongo Central Member of Parliament, have lashed out at Upper East Region’s Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) chairman, Eric Amoh, for verbally attacking the Parliamentarian.

The loyalists condemned the attack in a press statement signed by leader Ing. David Adda and released on Monday.

Mr. Eric Amoh, in his speech at a press soiree organized by the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council over the weekend, reportedly described the Parliamentarian as “childish and immature” for his commentary on some issues in an interview he granted Bolgatanga based A1 Radio.

In his outbursts, the chairman said the utterances of the Parliamentarian, which bordered on party challenges at his constituency, were completely unacceptable and had the tendency of sending the wrong signal especially in a year Ghana prepares for elections.

Mr. Amoh, who said he could not fathom why Mr. Adda would make such statements on live radio, also accused him of targeting to demean and vilify other political leaders in the region with his comments.

But the loyalists have hit back strongly at the GJA chairman in their statement, disagreeing with all that he said about Mr. Adda.

According to them, the assertions of the GJA chairman are not true and seek to damage the reputation of the Parliamentarian and set him up for public ridicule to satisfy his “paymasters”.

The statement said:” The GJA chairman’s comments seek to damage the reputation of Hon. Adda and put him up for public ridicule. To the best of our knowledge, Hon. Adda never attacked and has never made attempts to vilify any political figure in the region and country. He stands for peace, serenity and development and has been very integral in peacebuilding in the region”.

The group said Mr. Amoh should have known better not to attack Kofi Adda looking at the prestigious position he occupied in the region.

The group has, therefore, advised the GJA chairman to openly render apology to Mr. Adda and the people of Navrongo and from henceforth keep his distance and not poke his nose in the affairs of the Navrongo central constituency NPP.

It also called on the national body of the Ghana Journalists Association to investigate Mr. Amoh and serve him the necessary punishment.

“Again, we wish to urge Journalists in the region and country to desist from electing corrupt and failures like Mr. Amoh as executives. Persons like him only care about their stomachs and have nothing better to offer the profession. Evident is how he puts unqualified people up as journalists for educational trips outside Ghana while right and deserving journalists rot.

National GJA body must act now before he plunges the regional branch further into the ditch”.

Read full statement below.

Monday, January 27, 2020.

Immediate release.

[Office of the Loyalists of Hon. Joseph Kofi Adda]
DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE APOLOGY FROM ERIC AMOH, THE UPPER EAST REGIONAL CHAIRMAN OF GHANA JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION.

The attention of the Office of the Loyalists of Hon. Joseph Kofi Adda, Minister for Aviation and Navrongo Central Member of Parliament (MP) has been drawn to an audio clip and a publication on A1Radioonline.com, dated January, 26th, 2020, with the headline, “Reprimand Kofi Adda for acting childish- GJA Chairman tells NPP”.

In the said audio clip and publication which has made the rounds on social media, the regional GJA chairman used venomous language and attacked the renowned and revered politician by calling him “childish and immature” for granting an interview on A1 Radio, a radio station in the region.

He accused Hon. Adda of wanting to vilify other politicians and inciting chaos in the election year with his utterances in the radio interview.
His comments seek to damage the reputation of Hon. Adda and put him up for public ridicule.

But to the best of our knowledge, Hon. Adda never attacked and has never made attempts to vilify any political figure in the region and country. He stands for peace, serenity and development and has been very integral in peace building in the region.

Hon. Joseph Kofi Adda is a politician of great repute who has love and respect for all. He is arguably one of the most accommodating, humble and approachable political leader in the country. Even though, he made responses and said some truths to certain questions from the host of the radio show that needed clarifications, and which we believe were set up, that doesn’t warrant the intemperate language the GJA Chairman used on Hon. Adda in the presence of his paymasters.

It beats our understanding that a GJA chairman who should know better and is supposed to guide his members against the use of foul language in their line of duty, is said to have coerced a Radio show host to render an apology to a Minister of State for speaking his mind on an issue, will himself kowtow shamelessly in the presence of his paymasters and on the grounds of one of two sides, to insult a man who is way out of his league.

Yes, we know that Mr. Amoh is in bed with the regional minister and is helping her in her bid to contest in the primaries. We don’t care who he associates with. What we would want to make clear to him is to desist from making comments about internal issues he has no much knowledge about.Henceforth,he should NEVER, EVER think of attacking Hon. Kofi Adda. This should be the last!

Ultimately, we want Mr. Eric Amoh to openly render an immediate apology to Hon. Joseph Kofi Adda and the good people of Navrongo. We are also calling on the National Leadership of the Ghana Journalist Association to investigate Mr. Amoh and follow with the necessary punitive measures.

Again, we wish to urge Journalists in the region and country to desist from electing corrupt and failures like Mr. Amoh as executives. Persons like him only care about their stomachs and have nothing better to offer the profession. Evident is how he puts unqualified people up as journalists for educational trips outside Ghana while right and deserving journalists rot.

National GJA body must act now before he plunges the regional branch further into the ditch.

Signed
Chairman.
Ing. David Adda.
(0203893890)
Secretary
Hon. Stephen Gebute
(0244946739)