Broadcast Journalist Gordon Asare-Bediako has described the NDC’s “Strategic Recommendations for Countering Propaganda” as a direct admission that the Mahama government is failing, saying the memo itself proves the administration has run out of excuses.
In a scathing rebuttal to Prof. Yaw Gyampo and Evans Owusu titled “Setting the Record Straight”, Asare-Bediako said the document was “one of the most revealing documents to come out of the NDC camp in recent times.
“Not because it exposes any opposition propaganda, but because it lays bare the panic of a government that has run out of excuses and is now desperately searching for a script to hide behind.”
He dismissed the memo’s central proposal for a “Rapid Response Communication Team” as proof that performance is lacking. “Let me be blunt. You do not need a ‘Rapid Response Communication Team’ to defend a government that is working. Performance defends itself,” he wrote.
“The very fact that Gyampo and Owusu are drawing up battle plans to ‘counter narratives’ tells you everything: this government is not losing the propaganda war; it is losing the reality war.”
Gordon Asare-Bediako, who is an NPP National Communications Director hopeful, quoted the NDC authors against themselves to drive the point home. Gyampo and Owusu had warned:
“Failure to promptly counter misinformation or unsubstantiated allegations may create an erroneous perception that the Government is underperforming when evidence suggests otherwise.”
“Read that again,” he wrote, “They admit there is already a ‘perception that the Government is underperforming.’ If the evidence truly suggests otherwise, why the panic and why the memo?”
He also rejected Prof Gyampo’s proposal to the NDC to use threats of “legal remedies” against critics. He quoted the memo: “While freedom of expression is constitutionally protected, knowingly publishing false statements that injure reputations or undermine public confidence may attract legal consequences.”
“That is not a communication strategy; that is intimidation. When a government starts threatening to drag its critics to court for the crime of holding it accountable, it has abandoned the pretense of democracy.”
He concluded by addressing his former lecturer directly: “Prof. Gyampo, your memo is not a communication strategy—it is a confession.
It confesses that the achievements you brag about cannot survive scrutiny without an army of spin doctors.”
Gyampo’s post on his Facebook wall entitled “Responding Forcefully to Bogus and Propagandistic Opposition Narratives” read as follows;
“The John Mahama-led Government is clearly doing well in serving the fiduciary trust reposed in it by the good people of Ghana who brought it into being, after the predecessor government clearly failed to govern the country.
Some of us are too proud to be serving in the Government and we would do all we can not only to ensure that the Government succeeds, but also to be sure that Ghana doesn’t relapse into the hands of those who have no business being in Government and those who have no clue when it comes to the effective and efficient management of scarce state resources to translate into developmental outcomes that can tangibly be reflected in the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian people.
It has increasingly become a communication strategy of the New Patriotic Party NPP and some members of the Minority Caucus to characterize virtually every initiative, policy, and achievement of His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government as either a “scam” or a “sham.”
These labels are repeatedly propagated through Parliament, press conferences, radio and television discussions, social media platforms and other public forums, often without presenting substantial facts or empirical evidence to support such claims.
In every constitutional democracy, political parties are entitled to criticize government policies and hold the executive accountable. However, fairness, accuracy, and responsible public discourse require that allegations made in the public space be accompanied by facts and reasoned arguments.
Persistent use of derogatory labels based on emotions without adequate explanation risks misleading citizens and undermining informed democratic debate.
It is therefore imperative that NDC Members of Parliament and government communicators actively challenge such assertions by demanding specifics.
If a policy or programme is derogatorily described as a “scam” or a “sham,” those making the allegations should be called upon to identify the particular policy, project or expenditure involved and provide credible evidence to support their claims.
This approach aligns with the principles of accountability, transparency, and responsible political engagement.
Speaking as a Member of the government, I would say that our communication machinery must become more proactive and responsive.
Effective communication is not merely about announcing our achievements; it is equally about protecting the integrity of government policies and ensuring that citizens are accurately informed.
Failure to promptly counter misinformation or unsubstantiated allegations may create the erroneous perception that the Government is underperforming, even when evidence suggests otherwise.
So, whenever the Minority Leader or members of the Minority Caucus describe government initiatives as fraudulent or deceptive, the Majority Caucus and government spokespersons should not allow such narratives to dominate the public space unchecked.
Timely responses, fact-based press releases, and engagement with the media are essential to ensure that Ghanaians receive balanced information and are able to assess competing claims objectively.
Democracy thrives on vigorous debate, but debate must be grounded in facts rather than slogans.
It is therefore necessary for all stakeholders to promote issue-based politics and avoid narratives that seek to diminish public confidence without providing evidence.
Ultimately, the Ghanaian people deserve informed discourse and objective assessments of government performance, not propaganda driven by repetition and rhetoric.”
