Speaking on UTV, Romeo criticized what he characterized as a “gathering of friends” during President Mahama’s first media encounter of his second term, held Wednesday, September 10, 2025. The radio host argued that the selection process lacked transparency and resulted in insufficient scrutiny of government performance.
“What was the criteria for selecting journalists for the media encounter?” Romeo questioned during his television appearance. He clarified that his criticism was not directed at individual journalists’ political affiliations but rather at the organizers’ selection methodology, which he believes prioritized comfortable relationships over challenging journalism.
The presidential media engagement, announced by Minister for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu, was intended to provide journalists direct opportunity to question the president on national issues and government policies eight months into his second administration.
Romeo’s criticism extends beyond the media encounter format to encompass broader government accountability concerns. He specifically highlighted unfulfilled campaign promises made to Ghana’s creative arts industry during the NDC’s opposition period, arguing that insufficient progress has been demonstrated in this sector.
The media personality emphasized the temporal urgency of government delivery, noting that four years represents a limited timeframe for implementing promised initiatives. He warned that failure to deliver on campaign commitments would result in electoral accountability when citizens next visit polling stations.
Communication scholar Prof. Sikanku recently rated Mahama’s media engagement at 85-90% effectiveness, suggesting positive academic assessment despite Romeo’s concerns about participant selection processes.
The criticism reflects broader debates about press access and government accountability mechanisms in Ghana’s democratic framework. Media encounters serve as key platforms for presidential communication with citizens, making journalist selection processes particularly significant for democratic transparency.
Romeo’s comments come amid his broader critique of government performance in creative arts development, an area where he argues the current administration has underdelivered despite substantial campaign promises and stakeholder expectations.
The debate highlights ongoing tensions between government communication strategies and media expectations for rigorous accountability journalism. Press selection for presidential encounters remains a sensitive issue affecting public perception of government transparency and media independence.
The September 10 encounter was scheduled to take place at The Presidency at 8:00pm, representing President Mahama’s first such engagement since returning to office following the 2024 electoral victory.
Industry observers note that presidential media encounters in Ghana traditionally serve dual purposes: providing government platforms for policy communication while offering journalists opportunities to challenge executive decisions and seek clarification on national issues.
The effectiveness of such encounters often depends on participant diversity and question quality, making selection processes crucial for achieving balanced public discourse. Romeo’s criticism suggests that current selection methodologies may not optimize these democratic functions.
As Ghana’s media landscape continues evolving, debates about press access, government accountability, and journalist selection criteria remain relevant to democratic governance quality and public information access.
