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The Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has tasked leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to ensure consistency between the position of the party and that of its officials on the recent attack on UTV by some members of the party.

Speaking in an interview on Peace FM, the Minister noted that the leadership of the party should take appropriate actions against officials who have voiced their support for the attack despite the outright condemnation by the party officially.

“If the party is punishing people for behaviour inconsistent with the laws of the party or the nation and a member of the party expresses support for such behaviour, I believe it is something that the leadership should also look at.

"Because there must be consistency in the party’s approach. Just as there is consistency in the approach of the party and government in condemning the incident, it is the same way I believe the party leadership should also make sure that there is consistency between those positions and the views expressed by the members of the party,” he stated.

The Minister further emphasised that while members of the party may be entitled to divergent views on the matter, the onus lies on officers of the party to uphold the position of the party on matters and should duly be punished for doing otherwise.

Background

A group of NPP members stormed the studios of UTV during the broadcast of United Showbiz on Saturday, October 7, 2023, demanding for regular pundit of the show, Kwame Asare Obeng alias A Plus.

The group, said to be unhappy with A Plus shredding a letter by the leadership of the NPP to the management of UTV calling for a reform of United Showbiz, are said to have assaulted some staff of the media company before making their way into the studios.

The police later announced the arrest of 16 individuals in connection with the attack.

The incident has since received widespread condemnation from political activists and various critics who have described it as a direct attack on media freedom and the freedom of speech.

The NPP in a statement by its Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah has condemned the incident while emphasizing that the party did not sanction the attack on UTV.