As Tema Youths Battles MCE Billboard Removal
Agitated youths in Tema and supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) successfully prevented the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Tema, Yohane Amarh Ashitey, from dismantling a large billboard featuring the party’s flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama.
This incident is part of a series of disruptive actions carried out by members and supporters of the ruling party in various parts of the country, particularly in the Greater Accra Region, as campaign activities intensify.
Recent weeks have seen a surge in online videos and images showing defaced or destroyed campaign materials belonging to NDC parliamentary candidates and Mr Mahama.
Not long ago, Ernest Adomako (KEON), the NDC parliamentary candidate for Okaikoi South, caught individuals removing his posters late at night.
In a self-recorded video, he demanded an explanation for the unauthorized removal of his materials, prompting the culprits to plead for the recording to stop without providing justification.
At the scene where the latest incident took place within the TMA vicinity, the MCE reportedly instructed the removal of Mr Mahama’s billboard, which had been legitimately erected by the advertising agency Alliance Media following due payment.
Although initial attempts were made to destroy the billboard, prompt intervention led to its restoration by the advertising agency.
The presence of law enforcement during the operation attracted a significant number of youths who cautioned the MCE against any future tampering with the billboard, vowing to keep watch to prevent further interference.
The police also issued a warning against repeat offenses. A circulated video of the confrontation depicted outraged youths jeering at a vehicle believed to be from the Assembly that arrived at the scene.
The incident drew the attention of the Mahama 2024 Campaign, which admonished the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to desist from vandalizing Mr Mahama’s billboards and those of NDC parliamentary candidates.
In an official statement, the Campaign Team decried the incident as unacceptable and described it as a needless provocation aimed at heightening political tensions in the country.
Joyce Bawah Mogtari, spokesperson for the Mahama Campaign, emphasized, “Alliance Media, a duly registered Ghanaian advertising entity, holds valid permits for Out-of-Home (OOH) and Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) sites nationwide, having diligently paid the requisite annual fees to the TMA and other assemblies.” Mogtari added, “Therefore, it is completely unjustifiable for the TMA’s chief executive to dismantle their legally installed billboard, which the Mahama Campaign had rented and paid for.” She cautioned,
“While we anticipate that Alliance Media will pursue legal recourse against the TMA, we caution the TMA boss and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that such unwarranted actions, which fuel deliberate political confrontations and violence, are harmful to the advancement of our democracy.”
Suggestions have been made for Mr Mahama’s campaign to respond in kind by targeting billboards of the NPP’s flagbearer and parliamentary candidates.