Pictures : Credit Loud Silence TV ( YouTube).
In a development that has sent ripples through Ghana’s media landscape, Sankofaonline.com, monitoring the show With All Due Respect, has reported that Ghana’s most visited and trusted website, GhanaWeb.com, is allegedly under new ownership. According to the claims, Maame Yaa Antwi has acquired the site for a staggering one million Euros. This revelation has sparked heated debates, with allegations that the platform, once celebrated for its neutrality, has now become a mouthpiece for the National Patriotic Party (NPP).
Kelvin Taylor, the host of With All Due Respect, did not mince words in his assessment. He asserted that the new ownership aligns closely with the NPP, fundamentally altering the editorial direction of GhanaWeb. “GhanaWeb as we know it is no more,” Taylor declared, alleging that the platform now serves as a propaganda tool for the party.
Adding fuel to the controversy is a letter from Robert Bellaart, the founder of GhanaWeb, addressed to the staff of SuperWeb Technologies. Dated October 27, 2024, the letter outlines the intricate details of the ownership transfer. Bellaart revealed that Maame Yaa Antwi is the legal owner of AfricaWeb Holding BV, the parent company of GhanaWeb. However, he alleged that the true power lies with her husband, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, who orchestrated the acquisition through Protec Innovations Ltd., a company incorporated in 2022. Bellaart further claimed that Dr. Afriyie had promised to maintain GhanaWeb’s neutrality by retaining him as CEO, a promise that was allegedly broken when Maame Yaa Antwi dismissed him in December 2023 and replaced him with her brother, David Antwi.
The letter paints a picture of political maneuvering, suggesting that the ownership structure was designed to obscure the political affiliations of the new proprietors. Bellaart went so far as to claim that GhanaWeb has become a “fanpage” for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, raising questions about the platform’s objectivity and independence.
Protec Innovations Ltd., the company at the center of the controversy, is registered as a private limited entity in Ghana. Its business activities span retail, import and export of general goods, and information technology development. However, its alleged role in the acquisition of GhanaWeb has thrust it into the spotlight, with critics questioning the implications of its ownership on Ghana’s media freedom.
This unfolding saga has ignited a broader conversation about the role of media in shaping public opinion and the importance of safeguarding journalistic integrity. As the dust settles, one thing is clear: the future of GhanaWeb, and its place in Ghana’s democratic discourse, hangs in the balance.
The Ghanaian public, known for its vibrant engagement with political and social issues, will undoubtedly be watching closely as this story develops. The question remains—can GhanaWeb reclaim its reputation as a neutral and trusted source of information, or has it irrevocably shifted into the realm of partisan politics? Only time will tell.
Source: Sankofaonline.com
