The National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Stephen Ayensu Ntim, has offered an unqualified apology to the management of United Television (UTV) after some irate youth of the party invaded the studios of the TV station.
Mr Ntim publicly condemned their action on the station and assured that the party leadership would ensure that such reprehensible action was not repeated.
“On behalf of the party, I’m rendering an unqualified apology to the management of Despite Media, to you Kwami Sefa Kayi and all Ghanaians for what happened. The NPP tradition does not countenance such misbehaviour as we are noted to be disciplined people.
“I want to assure you that going forward the party leadership will ensure that no such reprehensible act is repeated. We will be guided by discipline in our actions, you can count on us,” he said in an interview.
He added: “You know me, there have been several incidents where I have been provoked, but I never reacted and always maintained my cool and this is the sort of quality I want to transcend to the party members from the national to polling station levels. I want everyone to have self-control in our political discourse.
“Internally, we will put measures in place to ensure that this sort of behaviour does not reoccur. This assurance goes to all media houses across the country.”
On Saturday, October 7, 2023, during the live broadcast of United Showbiz, some NPP members invaded the UTV studios.
According to them, the show had become a platform where the government has consistently been unfairly criticised in an unprofessional manner, to the point that a letter from the NPP to the management of UTV to reform the United Showbiz, was torn apart live on-air by A Plus, also a political activist cum NPP sympathizer and a regular panelist of the show.
The police have made some arrests and are investigating the issue.
The National Media Commission and the Ghana Journalists Association have also condemned the incident.