Ace broadcaster, Naa Ashorkor Doku-Mensah has teamed up with colleague, Berla Mundi, to grill NPP Youth Organizer, Salam Mustapha, over comment he made against #OccupyJulorBiHouse protestors in the past three days.
Salam had labeled the protest’s results, along with other initiatives done by civil society organizations to pressure the government into addressing problems plaguing the populace, as “rhetoric” and “bordering on politics” in that statement.
During a live phone interview on the New Day Morning show on Tv3, Berla Mundi responded to Mr. Salam’s remarks and strongly criticized him for characterizing the protest as mere rhetoric without substance.
“Don’t you find that disrespectful to the young people who voted for your president and vice president to come into power. Reason why you also proberly occupy the position that you had occupied even before within the party you began your job as the National Youth Organizer?
“Berla, I don’t know where you’re coming from with the word ‘disrespect’ because there’s no disrespect as far as opinions are concerned. If we express our opinions, you can’t call that disrespect,” he answered.
But disgruntled Naa Ashorkor quickly butts in with her concerns by pointing out the issues Salam had labeled as rhetoric, which included concerns about the Motorway, road repairs, the cost of living, and related matters. She then directly questioned Salam, asking if he personally uses the Accra-Tema Motorway.
“Of course, I do,” he responded, quickly followed by the question, “What is the state of the Motorway in your opinion?”
However, Naa Ashorkor appeared visibly frustrated, her body language clearly conveying her impatience as she rolled up her sleeves in preparation to respond. She interrupted once more:
“If you use the Motorway today, you’ll see that work is ongoing, especially from the interchange being done from the Spintex to East Legon, to the Motorway. So, if you see what we did in 2019 when the second stage was commissioned, we said we’re starting the third phase, which includes the interchange…” he argued.
“OK, let me tell you. I was on the Motorway yesterday and I noticed there is work around the Accra Mall end of the Motorway – before the toll booth. The actual Motorway, which has been the cause of countless accidents over the, I don’t know how many years, I was afraid for my life while I drove on the Motorway yesterday. The potholes are endless. There’s been a constant call by young people, in fact, all Ghanaians, asking for the Motorway to be fixed.
“I do not think that if people are out on the streets, calling for these things to be fixed, that it is okay for you to write a very long letter, calling these things rhetorics bordered on political lines. I do not think that just as you have agreed that the Motorway is bad, you should throw it off as a rhetoric. I also do not think that the many things that who feels it knows it, perhaps because of your position, or because of the experiences you have in your little world, you probably do not experience the things that people out on the streets experience. And because it is their fundamental human right – the freedom of expression, that means that they can say what they feel, in a peaceful protest, I do not think that it is alright for you, for the lack of the same challenges that they’re experiencing, that you don’t experience, I don’t think it’s ok for you to come out to call them rhetoric bordered on political lines.
“I think the least you could have done was to go ahead to mention the achievements of the party, which you did, which is fair, but to downplay, to water down, or to call irrelevant the things that the people are complaining about is a tad bit unfair. And so when Berla asked you earlier whether in hindsight, you would like to reconsider your position, especially in point number 3, I, honestly, expected you to come again, but for you to consistently say that after three days of the protest, you are unable to take home the most salient reason and demand for the protest and consider them as nothing concrete, I beg you to come again. Have you been to Korle-Bu in recent times? Do you not understand the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian?” she stated.
Watch video below:
Source: The Independent Ghana | Amanda Cartey