UTV attackers are NPP members – Salam Mustapha

The National Youth Organiser of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha, has officially acknowledged that all the young men who stormed the studios of United Television in Accra during its popular live entertainment show are confirmed members of the party.

 During an appearance on the "Ekosiisen" show on an Accra based Radio, Asempa FM,  on yesterday, Salam Mustapha acknowledged that it would be misleading for him to disavow the connection between the group of young men and the NPP.

 However, he went on to clarify that the party did not endorse or approve of the actions taken by these youth, who included constituency youth organizers and a Deputy Greater Accra Youth Organiser.

 “OB, I can’t be on this platform and claim that I don’t know them. All those in the video I know them. And I can confirm that some of them are constituency youth organisers, and one is a Deputy Regional Youth Organiser [Greater Accra]. They are my guys that I work with, and so I cannot deny their bona fide membership of the New Patriotic Party. As for that, I cannot lie on this platform. They’re NPP members that I work with, and I can state emphatically that I know them” he said.

 Regarding the status of the Deputy Youth Organiser among them, particularly if they were currently serving as the Greater Accra NPP Youth Organiser, Mr. Mustapha mentioned that he couldn't provide confirmation on that matter as the regional executives had not yet communicated any such changes to the national level.

 Nevertheless, he clarified that the current Greater Accra Youth Organiser, Moses Abor, has formally communicated to the party leadership his intention to step aside from his role.

 “To the best of my knowledge, the elders of the party are still holding onto that letter pending the acceptance of his resignation. I am sure because of the limited voters registration exercise, the Regional Executive Committee of the party hasn’t sat on the letter yet, so we hope by the time they sit, there will be communication regarding his resignation, and then there will be an acting Regional Youth Organiser,” he explained.

 He reiterated the NPP's commitment to recognizing the media as a crucial stakeholder in Ghana's democratic process. He emphasized that the party would take measures to prevent any recurrence of such incidents. As a gesture of goodwill, he extended an apology to the media for the recent incident and pledged to foster a more amicable relationship moving forward.

 “We are the key stakeholders in this democracy, but once in a while we can get things wrong, and we must be corrected for us to ensure that democracy flourishes. As a youth wing, this will not recur. And I will take care to ensure that across the country people are cautioned,” he said.

 He said the party will continue to cooperate with the police which arrested sixteen persons following the incident, and later granted them bail.

 It could be recalled that a group of young men over the weeken barged into the studios of UTV during the station’s prime time entertainment show, ‘United Showbiz’ temporarily disrupting the show and threatening to beat up the host and her guests on live television.

 According to them, the show had become a platform where the government has consistently been unfairly criticised in an unprofessional manner, to the point that a letter from the NPP to the management of UTV to reform the United Showbiz, was torn apart live on air by political activist cum NPP sympathizer, Kwame A Plus, a regular panelist of the show.