Managing Editor of the Insightnewspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr was placed in a hot corner by his colleagues from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) onPeace FM's morning show, over some comments he made during the weekend.
Kwesi Pratt, who was quoted to have described the NPP "Won Gbo" Dumsor demonstration as "fraudulent", was forced to swallow a bitter pill on the Friday edition of “Kokrokoo” as the NPP National Organizer John Boadu and the party's Deputy Communications Director Anthony Abayifa Karbo sought further clarification on the statements attributed to him (Pratt) on Saturday, 14th February on Radio Gold.
John Boadu interrogated Mr. Pratt, accusing him (Pratt) of having a double-faced personality whenever NPP issues are raised for discussions.
Last Saturday, Mr. Pratt on Radio Gold's "Alhaji and Alhaji" described the NPP demo as a party affair and so, asked the party to be bold to declare that the demonstration was conducted to advance their own interest and ambition.
He further stated emphatically that the demonstration, in his conviction, was fraudulent.
“...This demonstration is different from demonstrations that have been organised by AFAG, Committee for Joint Action or the Alliance for change. Those appear not to have been party demonstrations and the organisers were drawn from different political parties"
…but this one it is bare-faced NPP demonstration…I am not saying being a bare-faced NPP demonstration is bad; it is not bad. Political parties can organise demonstrations. They should be bold to say that we are organising this demonstration to further our ambition, interest and so on…but to call a press conference and tell us that it is not an NPP demonstration but a national demonstration, I think it is fraudulent…it is clearly fraudulent," stated the Managing Editor of the Insightnewspaper said as reported by Peacefmonline.com.
However, on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo", initially flatly denied making the statements attributed to him the online portal regarding the NPP "Won Gbo" demonstration saying the report "heavily tweaked".
He explained that his "position has always been that everybody is entitled to demonstrate. Everybody is entitled to demonstrate even if it is for unworthy purposes and so on. And this is a position I’ve taken on, how can I come anywhere and say that people should not demonstrate."
The seasoned Editor, who felt he was being treated unfairly by the two NPP gurus, accused the host, Kwami Sefa Kayi of bias for giving a sign language on his (Pratt's) blind side ostensibly to undermine him and further attempted to seek solace in claims that the panel was "skewed".
"Would you allow me to make my comment and stop this unnecessary interference," he screamed at his co-panel members adding "this is what happens when you skew the panel..."
"...When I was looking the other way I saw you (Sefa Kayi) giving them (Karbo and John Boadu) a sign...I was very uncomfortable because I know how this programme functions. This programme is not done in sign language and whenever the presenter wants to tell people to comport themselves, he says it....It just happens I was looking the other way and I saw you giving them a sign language. My interpretation of the signal is different," Pratt accused the host eventhough he admitted the sign language was to tell Karbo to keep quiet.
He also charged at John Boadu and Anthony Karbo for “deliberately" raising the issue (of him slamming the NPP's demo) on Kokrokoo, saying it was "not fair".
"Why are you stating it on this program?" he quizzed.
But the two NPP stalwarts would not back down on their stance.
John Boadu told his colleague on the other side of the political divide that he chose to express his concerns on Kokrokoobecause "this is the program that I can meet you. This is the program that I can seek clarity from you…I’m surprised that you would say that."
Whiles Anthony Karbo openly wondered why the newspaper Editor, would on the same issue express different views on different platforms, John Boadu expressed surprise that Kwesi Pratt would dare deny his own assertions.
"could there ever be a more skewed panel on radio than the ones put together on Radio Gold's Alhaji and Alhaji, the platform on which Mr Pratt made those comments?" Karbo sought to know and accused Kwesi Pratt of clutching at straws.
“I will be surprised if you (Kwesi Pratt) said so...The reason assigned to what you have been reported to say is that because the government has come out with measures to resolve the problem, any attempt for NPP to go on demonstration is fraudulent…" John Boadu added.
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