UTV Invasion: Management breaks silence as Vim Lady suspects insider accomplice

Outspoken Broadcast Journalist in the employ of the Despite Media Group, Afia Pokua, mostly known as Vim Lady, has said  the group of vexed young men who invaded and hijacked the studios of UTV during a live broadcast last Saturday could not have succeeded in their action without the support of a fifth columnist.

“Where the UTV studio is & the security inside, there is no way the NPP boys could enter without an Insider Accomplice Allah!”, Vim Lady noted in a post that has sparked a heated debate on her Facebook wall.

The said invasion on the private television station by the young men who introduced themselves as members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has left jaws dropped and dust is yet to settle on the ripple effect.

Meanwhile, the Management of UTV, a subsidiary of  the Despite Media Group on Tuesday issued an official statement on the development.

It read in full:

On the 7th of October, 2023, our Premises were invaded by a group of people who identifled themselves as sympathizers or members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). This group further disrupted our live program, United Showbiz, for which reason, the program was halted for almost an hour.

However, with the timely intervention of the Police, peace and order was able to be restored. We are therefore grateful to the Police Administration, particularly the IGP for their assistance. We will continue to collaborate with the authorities to bring those responsible for this incident to justice.

We condemn this act of violence and vandalism as it violates our Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms, and the Independence of the Media as enshrined under Chapters 5 and 12 respectively of the 1992 Constitution of our country. We are deeply concerned about this event and we are diligently taking all security and legal measures to prevent the reoccurrence of this unfortunate incident.

We understand that this event has caused concern amongst stakeholders and we want to assure all that, we are taking all the necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of our workers, guests, properties, clients and the interest of all other stakeholders.

We also wish to reassure our employees that we are here for you and will put in place all the necessary measures to ensure your safety at the workplace. We understand that this event may have caused some distress or anxiety amongst our working team but we want to assure you of Management’s support during this time.

We have also had a visit from the General Secretary and some leaders of NPP, who have apologized on behalf of the intruders and condemned the act. They have assured us of the non-occurrence of such an act again.

To our viewers and all other stakeholders including the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), National Democratic Congress (NDC), the leader of The Movement for Change, National Media Commission (NMC), Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and other well-wishers, we appreciate the love and support shown us

We are committed to our values and principles as an Independent Media House and we will not be deterred by unethical and disturbing activities. Our priority is to continue providing quality news and programs while ensuring the safety and security of all stakeholders. We will continue to maintain an impartial and non-biased editorial stance while providing a safe and secure platform for diverse views and opinions to be expressed.

Thank you all for your support

UTV, IT’s ALL ABOUT YOU!

MANAGEMENT