Afrifa-Mensah sandwiched by Gabriella and Helen
Gabriella Tetteh, the Central Regional Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has unapologetically defended her media engagement strategy, even in the face of growing criticism from some party activists. Her recent statement emphasizes an unwavering commitment to promoting the NDC across all media outlets, regardless of their political affiliations.
In what appears to be an ongoing standoff between Ms. Tetteh and certain NDC members, she made it crystal clear that her foremost responsibility is to convince the Ghanaian populace to support the NDC without exhibiting any bias towards pro-NPP (New Patriotic Party) media outlets.
“I can’t allow the hatred of one to deny me the opportunity to speak to the 400,000. Let’s get some things clear. I can’t inherit your enemies,” Ms. Tetteh boldly asserted on her Facebook timeline.
To bolster her argument, she cited a 2018 Citi FM infographic that spotlighted Geo Poll’s research, ranking CITI FM as the 5th most-listened-to radio station in Ghana, boasting 474,000 listeners. Intriguingly, none of the pro-NDC media outlets managed to secure a spot in Geo Poll’s top ten most-listened-to radio stations in Accra and Kumasi that year.
According to the research, Multimedia’s Adom FM clinched the top spot with an impressive 643,000 listeners, followed closely by Despite Media’s Peace FM, which garnered 624,000 listeners. Hello FM trailed closely with 604,000 listeners. In Accra, Citi FM secured the third spot and took the lead among all-English-speaking stations with 474,000 listeners. Angel FM, belonging to the ABN stock, occupied the fourth position with 446,000 listeners. Other stations that earned a place in the top 10 list included Joy FM, Kessben FM, YFM, and Luv FM.
However, Ms. Tetteh’s reference to Angel FM raised eyebrows, as the station did not have a presence in Accra in 2018. Critics were quick to point out that she did not specify which Angel FM and its flagship she was referring to.
What’s noteworthy is that Ms. Tetteh’s defense heavily relies on her regular appearances on Angel FM’s morning show, hosted by Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah, a vocal critic of John Dramani Mahama and the NDC.
While party foot soldiers openly criticise her appearances on a show hosted by a prominent anti-Mahama/NDC figure, Ms. Tetteh seems undaunted as she continues to share photos of herself with Afrifa-Mensah, much to the consternation of her fellow party members.
Her predicament further escalated after her recent appearance on Angel FM’s morning show, during which she exacerbated the situation by posting pictures of herself alongside Afrifa-Mensah and Helen on her social media timeline. These actions appear to be provocative and have left many of her party’s staunch supporters dismayed.
Adding to the controversy, Ms. Tetteh has engaged in a verbal dispute with journalist Kevin Taylor, based in the United States of America. The dispute revolves around a publication by Kevin Taylor and his team at Loud Silence Media concerning the award of the Boankra inland port contract and the project’s current state.
The ongoing controversy surrounding Ms. Gabriella Tetteh’s media engagements and affiliations shows no signs of abating, leaving the Central Regional Communication Officer at the centre of a heated debate within the NDC. The question of whether party officials should prioritise media outlets based on their political leanings or aim to reach a wider audience continues to divide opinion within the party.
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