The Tuesday, July 5, 2022, edition of Peace FM’s Kokrokoo witnessed a heated exchange between two panellists during a discussion about the government of Ghana’s application for an IMF bailout.
Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwasi Pratt Jnr., took offence when the Chief Executive Officer of the State Transport Company, Nana Akoemea, accused him of making undue inferences from the government’s statement announcing official engagements with the International Monetary Fund.
Livid about Nana Akomea’s accusation, Kwasi Pratt demanded “respect” from his co-panellist, however, the STC CEO described the request as “throwing of tantrums which will not wash.”
“To refer to what I am saying as a tantrum is very disrespectful,” Kwasi Pratt fumed in response.
Nana Akomea, who will not budge, retorted, “You are telling me I am disrespectful. You are throwing tantrums, stop it. You are telling me I am disrespectful and that is not an insult? You are throwing tantrums. Stop it!”
According to Nana Akomea, a portion of the ministry of information’s release which indicated a telephone conversation between President Akufo-Addo and the IMF Chief cannot necessarily mean prior engagements had been held about a possible bailout.
But Kwasi Pratt insisted that the reference to the phone call ahead of the official commencement of engagement for the bailout could mean the government of Ghana and the IMF have had some unofficial discussions about the bailout.
The seasoned journalist, who could not fathom Nana Akomea’s opposition to his assertion at a point during the banter, cited his co-panellist as being unintelligent.
“Nana, you are very unintelligent,” he blurted out.
The host of Kokrokoo, Kwame Sefa Kayi, intervened by urging the two to be mature about the matter, saying “we are old people, please, a lot of people are listening to us.”
The government has been under heavy criticism following its decision to seek an IMF bailout to mitigate current economic challenges.
Some critics of the government have cited its earlier opposing position to an IMF bailout to accuse the current leadership of refusing advice and lacking principles.
The government had earlier been urged by observers to seek a bailout, but the current leadership maintained that it was pursuing homegrown policies to fight the prevailing economic challenges.
ghanaweb.com