Member of Parliament for Assin Central Kennedy Agyapong has averred that if Ghana ever descends into a state of instability, the trigger will certainly be the media, mainstream or social media.
Agyapong who is also Chairman of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee said he is concerned about how false news is easily put out by media outlets citing the recent case of reportage on activist Ibrahim Mohammed a.k.a. Macho Kaaka, whose death led to deadly protests in Ejura.
Kennedy Agyapong made these comments when he appeared on the July 6, 2021 edition of the Good Evening Ghana talk show.
Asked whether he was concerned about the security situation in Ghana as has played out recently, he replied: “very concerned, about the media. I have always said that if Ghana will go to war, if Ghana will be destroyed; it will be from the media. The comments they make.
“Typical example is the case in Ejura, a brother kills a brother and it is reported out there that #FixtheCountry advocate has been killed because he was talking about fixing the country,” he submitted.
According to him, he was in Turkey when he read the news of Kaaka’s death, he said he felt bad about the supposed political reasons reported by the media, “… until I came back to Ghana and I got to know the true story of it. Who is causing problems?
“Other people have died because of false reportage, we are all losing the facts because we are not looking at where the problem started. The problem is from the media,” he stated, adding that it was the reports that infuriated the youth to protest leading to more deaths.
“We have to be careful in this country, the way we give information especially with social media. I don’t write anything, I don’t have time,” he added.
Agyapong, however, said he will mark the state of Ghana’s security as nine over ten because compared to other countries mentioning especially Nigeria, Ghana was in a state of peace and security.
He also charged at the main opposition National Democratic Congress submitting that the party had no locus to talk about, let alone protest about the state of security.
“I’m surprised NDC ‘gat’ nerves to go on demo talking about security, they gat nerves; but you know, we have to tolerate them because it is about politics.
“Have they forgotten about themselves? NDC? I want every Ghanaian without political tag to say there is insecurity in our society but not NDC. The atrocities committed by these people in this country, they gat nerves,” a bewildered Agyapong added