Government has directed the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the National Security to investigate allegations that it plans to use state funds to bribe journalists in the Upper East region to propagate ruling party’s agenda. The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have accused the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of bribing journalists who would be recruited into the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP)to kill negative stories and publish favourable stories about the government to enable them retain power in 2012. The NPP in a press conference provided the names of the journalists and the account numbers in which the monies from NYEP would be paid into by government to corroborate their claims. However, at a press conference in Accra today, Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa noted that an investigation into the allegations by the NPP would set the records straight over the matter. He said the investigations would also clear the minds of Ghanaians over the matter and reveal the mischievous intentions of the NPP. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa denied the allegations against his colleague Minister Baba Jamal whose voice is alleged to have been tape asking the journalists to do the bidding of government for a fee. He indicated that the allegations are not different from similar ones leveled against him and the sector minister, Mr John Akologu Tia, who were said to have acquired landed property in the United Kingdom and Tema respectively. The Deputy Minister also revealed that the Nara Rural Bank which allegedly opened accounts for the said beneficiaries has denied having such accounts. “We have spoken to officials at the Nara Rural Bank and they have told us that those accounts do not exist. They say the format of their account numbers is not the same format as was presented by the NPP”. Raising questioned over the allegations, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa asked why none of the journalists purported to in the secret meeting with Baba Jamal have come out to corroborate NPP’s claim. He opined that, it is a desperate attempt by the NPP to score cheap political points out of their concocted stories.