Come again, Ibrahim Sannie Daara!

GFA Spokesman, Ibrahim Sannie Daara. 

In the past few weeks at my temporary home outside our beloved country, I have been listening to my favourite radio (FM) stations via the internet. I mostly like English radio but that’s not to suggest, I don’t listen to FM stations that broadcast in Twi. I do and I enjoy it.

There are now hundreds of FM stations in Ghana and most of them can be listened to on the internet. The language in which these radio stations broadcast is often determined by their geographical location and other essential factors like reasons behind establishing the station, their target audience and many more.

Because Twi is widely spoken in Ghana, many of the FM stations in southern parts of the country broadcast in that language. The fact that they broadcast in Twi doesn’t make their programmes less relevant than the FM stations which broadcast in English.

Many of the FM stations that broadcast in Twi have informative, educative and entertaining programmes just like the English FM stations. They have sports and political programmes that keep their listeners updated on current happenings in and outside the country. They also have health, business and entertainment programmes that are worth listening to.

Having been in media practice for a little over a decade and with the little I know about radio broadcasting, I don’t believe the type of language (for instance English or Twi) a radio station uses for broadcast can be the measuring rod to ascertain if that radio station is professional.

Interestingly in Ghana, there’s the perception that, local language radio stations, Twi-speaking broadcasters in this particular case, are unprofessional. Those with this erroneous opinion contend that, Twi broadcasters are the worst culprits when it comes to media ethical breaches. I have, in fact, met people in our media space who truly look down on Twi-speaking stations.

In short, they don’t respect Twi radio broadcasters or presenters. Now, Twi-speaking FM stations, some of them, are being blamed for the destruction of our Premier League. Last week, the spokesman for the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Ibrahim Sannie Daara, speaking on Starr FM accused “some Twi-speaking radio stations for destroying the image of our league.

He was quoted as saying that, “the local league has become unattractive to sponsors because of the incessant criticism of the local FM stations”. He said, “If the Ghana Premier League gets better sponsors on board [it would be] to the benefit of radio stations. But some particular Twi-speaking radio stations tag the league as stupid and nasty.

“Yet when they run commentaries they have numerous spiritualists, Akpeteshie companies all running adverts on the same product which they have condemned. If the league gets better [it’s] for all of us, but when you destroy it then most of you will lose your jobs” he stated.

His remarks predictably incurred the wrath of sections of the media. Sannie’s critics didn’t spare him. They lambasted him for daring to assign the sunken image of our league to actions of some Twi-speaking radio stations. Were Sannie’s views legitimate? I don’t think so. No single entity can entirely be blamed for the unattractiveness of our league.

While it’s irrefutable that, there have been excesses with some of the commentaries on our domestic game, it is not right for the GFA’s spokesman to attribute the lack of appeal our league has to actions of Twi-speaking FM stations. That was below the belt. I haven’t liked some media reports on our league but circumspection in one’s language is necessary here.

Our league, admittedly maybe unappealing in the eyes of the corporate world due to certain actions stakeholders of which the GFA is one but to say a specific group of broadcasters have contributed to its soiled image is to ignore the critical factors that have brought us to this point.

I won’t condone wrongdoing on the part of the media but most of the things the media have said about our league have emanated not from the vacuum. The negative commentary on our game, which Sannie finds problematic, I agree, are at times too vitriolic but they have been triggered by how our competition has recently been ill-planned and badly organized.

I’m not sure Sannie will deny that. Or that he has been happy and comfortable with the state of affairs regarding our league. In any case, was last season's late start and has this season’s delay been caused by the Twi-speaking radio stations? Please, Sannie, come again.