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MFWA holds Editors Roundtable on Media Sustainability in West Africa

Kwaku Asante
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MFWA holds Editors Roundtable on Media Sustainability in West Africa

Senior editors, managers and influential media practitioners from across Anglophone West Africa will on Wednesday, October 16, 2019 convene to reflect and deliberate on the future of the media in West Africa.

Dubbed “The Editors Roundtable,” conversations at the event will focus on key issues such as media ownership, professionalism and sustainability.

As watchdogs and agenda-setters, the media have over the years facilitated several critical public discourses on development issues that have yielded notable results. As commendable as these may be, the media is still struggling with diversity in media content, editorial independence and quality in output. Unprofessionalism, partisanship, financial dependence and issues of sustainability have become a continuous struggle. A majority of media outlets are either comatose or on life support. To salvage this, many media organisations resort to commercial activities which largely affect quality and professionalism.

The 2018 Afrobarometer report for instance, reported that the public is gradually losing trust in the media. What is also interesting is the changing media habits, attitudes and perceptions of consumers, which is also dictating market share and calls for more effective techniques in audience engagement.

“The Editors Roundtable” is critical to deliberate on the challenges affecting media sustainability, professionalism and development in West Africa. Key recommendations from this event will be collated and shared with stakeholders to improve the media landscape in the West Africa region. The event is being organised as part of the MFWA’s project on Promoting Free, Quality and Independent media in West Africa being implemented with funding support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WAMECA 2019 To Host Freedom of Expression Advocate Pansy Tlakula as Guest Of Honour

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WAMECA 2019 To Host Freedom of Expression Advocate Pansy Tlakula as Guest Of Honour

The 2019 edition of the West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA) will host the Chairperson of the Information Regulator of South Africa, Advocate Pansy Tlakula, as the Guest of Honour. Advocate Pansy Tlakula, who is also the Former Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information to the African Commission, will speak on WAMECA 2019’s theme: “Social media, Fake news and Elections in Africa.”

WAMECA 2019 will be held on October 17-19, 2019 at the Swiss Spirit Alisa Hotel in Accra, Ghana. In addition to delivering the keynote address during Thursday’s Conference, she will make remarks during the Awards ceremony on Saturday.

WAMECA is an MFWA initiative that promotes media excellence in the West African region. The Awards Ceremony honours journalists who have produced compelling stories which have made a significant impact on society.

Profile of Advocate Pansy Tlakula

Advocate Pansy Tlakula is a former Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information and former Chairperson of the Working Group on Specific Issues related to the work of the African Commission. For 10 years, since 2005, she worked as member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). In 2015, she was appointed Chairperson of the ACHPR, a mandate she held until 2017. Advocate Tlakula also formerly served as the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa.

Currently, Advocate Pansy Tlakula is the Chairperson of the Information Regulator of South Africa. She holds a B. Proc degree from the University of the North (now University of Limpopo); an LL.B degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and an LL.M degree from Harvard University. In 2006, she was awarded an Honourary Doctorate in Legal Studies by the Vaal University of Technology.

Advocate Tlakula has held other high-profile positions in academia, public and private sectors including Chancellor of the Vaal University of Technology, Chairperson of the Board of the National Credit Regulator, Chairperson of the Council of North West University, National Director of the Black Lawyers Association, Senior Law Lecturer at the then University of Bophuthatswana (now North West University), and one of the founding Commissioners of the South Africa Human Rights Commission.

Media Stakeholders Propose Ways for Effective Implementation of RTI Law

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Media Stakeholders Propose Ways for Effective Implementation of RTI Law

It was a ground-breaking move in March when Parliament finally passed the transformative Right to Information (RTI) Act, a law that ended a decade-long advocacy from activists who pleaded that government codifies access to information. But four months after President Akufo-Addo assented the bill into law, policy advocates question what measures are being put in place to ensure an effective implementation of the law.

On September 25, 2019, the Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA) and the RTI Coalition convened a Public Forum to deliberate and find answers. The Public Forum which was under the theme “Implementation of RTI Law: How will Ghana’s be Different,” brought together high-profile lawyers, journalists, representatives from  government Ministries and other key stakeholders to discuss what enforcements would be needed to ensure a systemic process of access to information.

Delivering the keynote address at the Forum, Akoto Ampaw, a seasoned legal practitioner and prominent advocate for the RTI law, highlighted certain barriers that could stifle a smooth roll-out of the law.

Lawyer Akoto Ampaw, seasoned legal practitioner and RTI Advocate

“There is the challenge of changing this age-old culture of secrecy in government. We must dispel politicians’ fears of organising a system of information, storage and retrieval for the public.”

He further noted that despite governmental resistance during the grassroots fight to pass the RTI Act, the law will equally serve the interest of politicians, who could easily advocate for a policy by using stored information on file.

He added that the passing of the law is not enough. “If we don’t effectively organise the implementation of the RTI law it will easily become another law that Parliament passes but nothing is done.”

Speaking on behalf of the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Selasi Ablode-Spencer, technical assistant to the Minister, shared some initial challenges they are facing as they spearhead the bill.

“There have been delays and that has been due to funding,” Ablode-Spencer said.

He, however, indicated that the Ministry of Finance has agreed to supply funds “in the coming weeks,” adding that his team is working with boots on the ground to ensure that implementation of the law can begin.

“By the end of the month, we will work with public institutions to disseminate information. We know that the initial stages will be difficult and we are very happy that the stakeholder community is involved so we can continue with these collaborations.”

Sharing perspectives on effective ways to implement  the law to make it make it meaningful and impactful, some panelists, made recommendations.

Investigative Journalist Manasseh Azure making a point

Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni argued that everything done at the Ministries are put on files, but when information is needed, they are unable to provide the needed documentation because of legally-binding contracts signed to withhold information.  “You save yourself pressure from people if you can simply put information up on the website,” he advised. “It does not compromise the security of the state to make certain procurement contracts available for the people.”

The Head of Africa Office, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, added that another key enforcement to aid in the implementation of the law is to properly train public officials.

“The Information Commission has a responsibility to educate the public in addition to training public officials,” said Mina Mensah. “If officials are not in tune with the law, it could backfire.”

On his part, the Executive Director of the Parliamentary Network Africa, Sammy Obeng, advised all stakeholders, including the general public to get involved in the implementation process.

“We all have a responsibility to get involved,” “We must read the law. We have a duty. No excuse.”

How the fight began

The RTI bill, first drafted in 1999, was proposed to promote transparency and alleviate the fight against corruption. But the passing of the bill spanned five administrations. Missed deadlines and untimely delays dragged the passage of the law.

During deliberations to pass the bill, members of Parliament argued that passing the bill would mean the loss of exclusivity to key information. But activists rebuffed government’s fears.

Leading up to the bill’s passing, scores of civil society groups and journalists made visits to Parliament piling pressure on government to pass the law. Momentum to pass the bill amplified during the Akufo-Addo administration as protests became more robust. On March 26, 2019, Parliament passed the bill. Two months later, on May 21, Akufo-Addo assented the bill into law.

Reporter Detained for “Illegal” Filming, Colleague threatened for Reporting on the Detention

Kwaku Asante
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Reporter Detained for “Illegal” Filming, Colleague threatened for Reporting on the Detention

A journalist has been arbitrary detained in prison for two days after she was arrested for taking pictures of an operation by an Environmental and Waste Management Agency set up by the Government of Akwa Ibom State, while another journalist has been threatened for reporting the violation.

Mary Ekere, who reports for The Post newspaper in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State, was put before court on September 17, 2019, a day after she was arrested, and returned to prison for a second night on charges that are still not clear.

“They were on illegal operation, obviously. So, they arrested her for taking the photos, pushed her into their vehicle, and then threw her into jail just like that,” Gideon Ekere, the editor-in-chief of The Post, told Sahara Reporters.

Meanwhile, another journalist, Cletus Ukpong, who reported on the illegal arrest and detention of Ekere and shared it on his timeline, has also been threatened with arrest and imprisonment. Cristo Ekpoh, a close associate of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, issued the threat against Ukpong, a Regional Editor of the Premium Times.

Ekpoh took to Premium Times’s Facebook timeline to condemn the report on Mary’s arrest.

“Misleading headline by Cletus Ukpong to tarnish the image of the governor; it should have been you that was thrown into prison,” Ekpoh posted.

The journalist said that Ekpoh also threatened to deal with him anywhere he is found.

Following the detention of Ekere on Monday, September 16, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), wrote to the State authorities to demand the journalist’s release. The letter signed by Inimfon Silas, State Chairman of the NUJ, and Anthony Udoh, his Secretary, also threatened legal action if their colleague is not released.

The MFWA condemns the arbitrary detention of Ekere and call on the authorities in Nigeria to ensure that the perpetrators are punished. We urge the Nigerian Union of journalists (NUJ) and the management of The Post to take up the issue and ensure that Ekere gets justice. We also condemn the threat against Ukpong for merely reporting the wrongful arrest of his colleague, and urge the journalist to report the threat to the police.

West Africa Media Excellence Awards 2019: Profile of Judges

Kwaku Asante
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West Africa Media Excellence Awards 2019: Profile of Judges

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has constituted a 5-member committee of distinguished and experienced journalists and media experts to serve as the Jury for the 2019 edition of the West Africa Media Excellence Awards.

The committee of judges will review and shortlist the deserving entries to be awarded for the various categories of the West Africa Media Excellence Awards on October 19, 2019 at the Swiss Spirit Alisa Hotel in Accra, Ghana. The judges will also review entries for the AU Charter Awards, which will be held together with this year’s West Africa Media Excellence Awards.

The West Africa Media Excellence Awards seeks to promote and uphold high standards of journalism in West Africa by recognising and rewarding journalists who have distinguished themselves through quality works that are impacting society.

The AU Charter Awards also aims at honouring journalists across Africa who are producing high quality and critical stories that are promoting the course of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG).

Below are the profiles of the judges:

Lanre Idowu- Nigeria

Lanre Idowu is an accomplished and highly respected Nigerian journalist, editor, author, publisher, media owner and trainer. He is well known in Nigeria for his passion and commitment to quality journalism.

He serves as a Trustee of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence. He is also a fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. In 2011, he was the recipient of the Lifetime Award for Media Excellence in Nigeria by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ).

Idowu is currently the CEO of Diamond Publications Ltd and editor-in-chief of Media Review, a publication that reviews the performance of the Nigerian Media. He has worked with various leading Nigerian newspapers such as the Daily Times, The Guardian and The Democrat.

He worked with Thisweek magazine from 1986 to 1989 as an associate editor, deputy editor and editor.  He describes himself as an incurable optimist in the capacity of the media to serve as a tool for development.

Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng – Ghana

Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng is a veteran Ghanaian journalist, editor, teacher, media trainer and consultant.

He is the immediate past Chairman of the National Media Commission, a media regulatory body in Ghana, and also the immediate past President of the Ghana Association of Writers. Nana is also the immediate past President of the African Communication Regulators Network. Between 2004 to 2006, he worked as the Communication Policy Advisor at Third World Network Africa.

Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng has previously worked as the editor of the Mirror newspaper in Ghana, editor of the renowned West Africa magazine in London and publisher/editor of African Topics magazine.

He has been a part-time lecturer in several institutions including the Vauxhall College in London, the European University for Peace Studies in Austria, Ghana Institute of Journalism and the African University College of Communication in Accra.

Nana has also consulted for a number of entities including the European Union, the African Union, and the African Centre for Human Rights Studies, Parliament of Ghana, and ECOWAS.

Reyhana Masters – Zimbabwe

Reyhana Masters-Smith is an experienced and distinguished Zimbabwean Media and Communications Consultant who has worked as a reporter, editor, media trainer and researcher for many local and international organisations.

Reyhana has served as the Editor for So This Is Democracy, a publication by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) which analyses the political and economic landscape and media policy frameworks in Southern Africa. She has also worked as the Editor and Content Creator for the MISA Regional Website and Communication Portal.

For many years, she worked as the deputy features editor of  The Daily News – the first privately owned daily newspaper established in Zimbabwe in 1999 and as the Moderator of the African Media Barometer, an analytical tool that measures the national media environments on the African continent.

Currently, Reyhana Masters is the Sub Saharan Africa regional editor of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) and also serves as the chairperson for the Information for Development Trust- an investigative journalism media hub she co-founded.

Samba Badji – Senegal

Samba Dialimpa Badji is a Senegalese media professional of great repute, having worked with several local and international media organisations in his brilliant career. Samba Badji was a Senior Producer for the French Service of the BBC from March 2010 – Nov 2014.

He was the Media and Communications Manager for West and Central Africa Regional Office of Save The Children, international organisation that promotes children’s rights and provides relief for children in developing countries, from December 2014 – November 2015. He has also worked for Radio France International. As a freelance media specialist, he has conducted several training programmes for journalists across the world.

Currently, Samba Badji is the Deputy Editor of the French version of the fact-checking platform, Africa Check and a lecturer at the Ecole Superieue de Journalisme des métiers de I’internet et de la Communication (Ejicom).

Blame Ekoué – Togo

Blame Ekoué is an experienced Togolese journalist and editor who has been corresponding for many local and international media organisations.

Blame has worked as the deputy editor of the West Africa Revue, and he has been contributing to the Lome-based Business and Finance magazine since 2015. He has also previously reported for Associated Press and Radio France International.

Currently, Blame Ekoué is a correspondent for the BBC and for Paris-based media house, African News Agency (ANA).

MFWA, RTI Coalition to Convene Public Forum on Ghana’s RTI Law

Kwaku Asante
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MFWA, RTI Coalition to Convene Public Forum on Ghana’s RTI Law

As part of efforts to ensure effective implementation of the newly passed Right To Information (RTI) Law in Ghana, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in collaboration with the Right To Information Coalition, will on Wednesday, September 25, 2019, at 9:00 am at the Swiss Spirit Alisa Hotel convene a public forum on the theme: Implementation of RTI Law: How will Ghana’s be different?

The Forum which forms part of activities to mark this year’s International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) will deliberate on Ghana’s newly passed RTI law, its prospects and what is required for its successful implementation.

The Forum will bring together government ministries, departments and agencies, representatives from civil society groups, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), Academia, media groups and the general public.

In West Africa, 10 out of the 16 countries have passed the Right to Information or Access to Information Law. While this should improve citizens’ right to seek and receive information in the region, on the contrary, access to information is limited. The absence of requisite and functional structures to ensure the effective implementation of the Right to Information law account for its failure.

In Burkina Faso, for instance, the Right to Access Information Law (Loi no. 051-2015) passed in 2015 for more than two years was not functional. This is because subsidiary legislation to operationalise the law was not passed. This prevented citizens from invoking the law to access critical information and public documents.

As the newest country to pass the RTI Law in West Africa, Ghana will have to institute the necessary structures and mechanisms to ensure the RTI Law is not only in existence but also operational. The forum will, therefore, identify potential gaps and prospects, and make recommendations to ensure the effective implementation of the RTI Law.

The public forum is supported by the DW Akademie.

For more information on this event, kindly contact Adiza Moro on 0558281720 (email: [email protected]) or the MFWA on 0302-553278.

President Akufo-Addo’s Pronouncement on Ahmed Suale’s Murder Disappointing – MFWA

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President Akufo-Addo’s Pronouncement on Ahmed Suale’s Murder Disappointing – MFWA

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) heard with dismay President Akufo-Addo’s comment that the killing of Ahmed Hussein Suale, a member of the Tiger Eye PI team led by investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, should not be described as an attack on press freedom.

Speaking at a Ghana Bar Association conference in Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana on September 9, 2019, the President suggested that the murder might well be a crime that is unrelated to the victim’s work, and concluded that it was premature to describe the incident as a crime against the media.

The MFWA is highly disappointed with the President’s comments for the following reasons:

First of all, the attack came barely six months after the release of the investigative video Number 12, which exposed corruption in football in Ghana and Africa, following which several threats were made on the lives of the Tiger Eye PI Team.

Indeed, a leading member of the President’s party and a Member of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong, launched a vigorous hate campaign against the Tiger Eye PI team following the release of the investigative documentary. He even went as far as sharing the pictures of Ahmed Suale in particular, showing where he lived and inciting his supporters to attack Suale whenever they met him.

Under these circumstances, it is natural, reasonable and logical to attribute Suale’s murder to his work, and whoever thinks otherwise bears the burden of proof.

The same applies, for instance, to the case of Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, in October 2018. His fallout with the Saudi government and his subsequent critical articles about the monarchy provided circumstantial grounds for the murder to be attributed to his work by all press freedom and human rights organisations including the UN system.

We also find quite baffling the President’s analogy regarding the murder of J.B. Danquah, the former Member of Parliament, which he said cannot be described as an attack on Parliament. Indeed, if the former parliamentarian had been killed after threats on his life following a stand he had taken on an issue or a damning statement he had made in Parliament about an individual or a group, the conclusion, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, would be that the attack is an attempt to intimidate Parliament and censor its members.

There is no doubt that the circumstances of Suale’s murder sent a chill down the spine of journalists in Ghana and has the potential to intimidate the media to self-censor and also make journalists fear for their lives when they are threatened. This can be explained by the fact that Manasseh Azure Awuni and Edward Adeti both had to arrange for personal security following threats they received in connection with their work as journalists. We, therefore, find it highly disappointing for the President to be in denial of this fact by suggesting in such a casual manner that the murder is not an attack on press freedom.

As President of Ghana, Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo has the ultimate oversight over the work of the security and intelligence agencies charged with investigating and prosecuting crime. We, therefore, urge the President to continue to provide the necessary support to the investigative agencies to unravel Suale’s murder and bring the perpetrators to book. We also appeal to the President to recognise the recent upsurge in attacks on journalists in the country and to take measures to improve Ghana’s press freedom environment.

We have also noted the President’s call for “responsible journalism” in Ghana. It is, however, our view that political actors and public authorities’ idea of responsible journalism is often subjective.

Moreover, they often make such calls when they are dissatisfied with critical reportage. What the MFWA therefore calls for is professional journalism. We also urge the media to sustain the recent critical and investigative reports that are contributing significantly to the fight against corruption in Ghana.

Finally, we urge political parties and governments to demonstrate their abhorrence of unprofessional journalism by desisting from rewarding unethical and mercenary journalists with political appointments.

Nigeria’s Security Forces Go on Rampage, As Guinea’s Media Stand up to Oppression

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Nigeria’s Security Forces Go on Rampage, As Guinea’s Media Stand up to Oppression

A series of press freedom and freedom of assembly rights violations in Nigeria were the dark spots of the month of August 2019 which also saw the media in Guinea taking a firm action to denounce harassment by state actors.

On August 3, 2019, police in Nigeria arrested the publisher of the Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sorowe.  A vocal critic of the Buhari government, Sorowe called Nigerians to demonstrate against perceived misrule and corruption in the country to herald a revolution under the umbrella of a movement he had launched called Revolution Now.  He was, however, arrested at his hotel in Lagos by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

On August 5,  Ibrahim Dan Halilu, a communication specialist, was also arrested by Operatives of the DSS that raided his house in Rigachikun, in Kaduna State and took him away around 2:00 PM local time. Halilu was accused of supporting Sowore in a Facebook post expressing solidarity with the journalists and activist.

On the same August 5, police brutalised Revolution Now demonstrators and arrested at least eight of them. Victor Ogungbero, a cameraman working with Sahara Reporters, who was covering the protest, was manhandled and taken into detention at the Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos State.

On August 19, security forces took up strategic points and prevented the gathering of people who had turned up to demonstrate against alleged misrule and corruption. The security officers turned away the would-be demonstrators and arrested several as they arrived at the Lagos Centre, Ikeja, Lagos in response to the call of the civil society movement, the Coalition for Revolution (CORE)

A BBC reporter, Andrew Gift, was also arrested by the police while he was covering the earlier stand-off between security officers and members of the CORE. Gift was detained in a police van and forced to delete pictures and videos he had taken of that morning’s events.

As these violations of the right to peaceful assembly continued in Nigeria, a similar incident was being recorded in Cote d’Ivoire. On August 5, the authorities in Sanguoine, a city located in the West of the country, denied supporters of the opposition Parti Democratique de Cote d’Ivoire (PDCI) the right to peaceful assembly. The mayor refused to acknowledge a notification letter from the PDCI regarding the holding of a public gathering to formally inaugurate the new Chairman of the party for that locality.

There was a similar violation of Freedom Assembly rights in Ghana  as security forces in Navrongo, capital of the Kassena Nankana District, attacked anti-government protestors and destroyed their placards. The incident occurred on August 14, 2019, when protesters gathered by the roadside to express their grievances to President Akufo-Addo who had arrived in the District on an official visit.

Back in Nigeria, the police arrested a journalist in Lagos after he published an article demanding accountability for funds allocated to a bank project.  Agba Jalingo, publisher of Cross River Watch, an online newspaper based in Calabar, the capital city of Cross River State, was arrested by police at his residence in Lagos on August 22, 2019.

In Guinea, a presenter at a private radio station in Conakry and the owner of the station are facing prosecution after the station hosted an outspoken critic of the government in a phone radio interview. Aboubacar Algassimou Diallo, host of the prime-time show Oeil de Lynx on Lynx FM, and Diallo Soulemane, owner of the said station, were summoned by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Police (CID) on August 19, 2019. The two were placed under judicial control.

A Magistrate’s Court in Cotonou on August 12, 2019, sentenced a journalist to a one-month suspended jail term and a fine 550,000 francs CFA (about US $ 850) after being found guilty of “publishing false information on the internet.” The journalist, Ignace Sossou of Web Benin TV, an online media outlet, had published two investigative articles in which he made tax evasion allegations against Jean Luc Tchifteyan, a businessman of French nationality and owner of the Tchifteyan Group of Companies based in Cotonou.

In other developments, on August 15, Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in collaboration with Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ) organised a Forum for the Adoption of a Framework on Police Media-Relationship and Safety of Journalists in Abuja. The Framework aims at regulating regulations between security agencies and the media. It  was developed as part of the recommendations made at a Police-Media Forum organised to ensure peaceful police-media relations during Nigeria’s February 2019 elections. Aim?

Private radio stations in Guinea on  August 29, 2019, made a two-hour synergy broadcast to denounce recent intimidation and abuse of journalists by the police and the judiciary. Media managers, journalists and a lawyer formed the panel for the programme which was carried live by all radio stations and news websites across the country, with extensive tweets by media professionals and press freedom activists in Guinea.

The protest broadcast was the second show of rage against recent acts of intimidation against the media in the country. On August 26, 2019, media professionals from the private media stormed the premises of the media regulatory body, Haute Autorite de la Communication (HAC), where they held a sit-in to register their anger at the spate of arrests, detentions and intimidating summoning of journalists.

“Enough of the Judicial Harassment of Journalists!” Guinea’s Media Protests

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“Enough of the Judicial Harassment of Journalists!” Guinea’s Media Protests

Private radio stations in Guinea on 29 August 2019, made a two-hour synergy broadcast to denounce recent intimidation and abuse of journalists by the police and the judiciary.

Media managers, journalists and a lawyer formed the panel for the programme which was carried live by all radio stations and news websites across the country, with extensive tweets by media professionals and press freedom activists in Guinea.

“Today the Guinean press is going through very difficult times as journalists are subjected to a lot of harassment and judicial persecution because judges or prosecutors have decided to use the Cyber Security Law 002 instead of the Press Freedom Law 003, any time a press offense is committed,” complained Amadou Tam Camara, president of the AGUIPEL (Guinean association of online media).

The protest broadcast was the second show of rage against recent acts of intimidation against the media in the country. On August 26, 2019, media professionals from the private media stormed the premises of the media regulatory body, Haute Autorite de la Communication (HAC), where they held a sit-in to register their anger at the spate of arrests, detentions and intimidating summoning of journalists.

Chanting slogans such as “Let’s take back our freedom” “Corrupt justice system” and “Judges Petrified”, among others, the journalists denounced their abusers and called on the HAC to assume its constitutional responsibility to protect the media and journalists.

Boubacar Algassimou Diallo, radio presenter with Lynx FM, is the latest victim of the reported campaign of harassment. He is under judicial control pending trial for “complicity in defamation and undermining national security” together with Souleymane Diallo, founder and managing director of the station. The managing director, however,, had his judicial control lifted on August 29, 2019.

Lansana Camara, editor of the news website conakrylive.info, was detained on March 26 on the orders of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The journalist spent eight days in detention and is still facing prosecution for defamation.

Habib Marouane Kamara, a journalist with Nostalgie FM, was also on July 10, hauled before a judge on defamation charges after Aboubacar Makissa Camara, Director of the National Tax Department of Guinea, complained about a Facebook post by the journalist.

Mohamed Bangoura, director of publication of the news website mosaiqueguinee.com, was summoned to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Police and interrogated for five hours over an article written by an opposition politician published by his media outlet. Bangoura has since been standing trial on charges of insulting the Head of State.

The MFW stands in solidarity with the media in Guinea in their struggle to redeem their freedom which is guaranteed by the national constitution. While we do not condone unprofessional journalism, we are also deeply concerned about the serial harassment of journalists through frivolous lawsuits and charges under the criminal code rather than the media-friendly press code.

Guinea is heading into elections later this next year and the least state actors can do is to collaborate with the media to ensure effective information and education of the citizens in order leading successful and peaceful elections.

Improving Health Service Delivery in Burkina Faso through Critical Journalism – the MFWA Experience

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Improving Health Service Delivery in Burkina Faso through Critical Journalism – the MFWA Experience

Across the world, the media is recognized as crucial in deepening democracy, promoting good governance and rule of law. The media in exercising its mandate also conducts investigative reporting that flags shady or corruptible deals and holds government and public officials accountable for their stewardship.

Often in such enterprising endeavours, journalists grapple with a number of challenges, key among them being financial constraints.

With the aim of stemming the financial limitations and improving the media’s critical reporting and demand for public accountability, the MFWA, last year, instituted a scheme that provides funding support to journalists for the production and publication of critical, independent and high-quality reports on issues of Corruption, Transparency, Accountability, and Service Delivery in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Senegal.

In Burkina Faso, several journalists have accessed funding and are reporting on critical sectors such as health and education. These reports have prompted key actions from authorities towards resolving identified health challenges and improving health service delivery in many communities in the country.

For example, this report by Hamidou Traore of the bi-monthly l’Evenement du Faso focused on the misery stroke patients suffer due to the limited and non-functioning brain scanners in government regional hospitals. The brain scanners helps to determine the type of stroke a patient is suffering from and hence the appropriate treatment to administer. Few weeks after publishing the story, the management of the Yalgado Public hospital in a circular published on their notice board indicated that the brain scanner had been repaired and a new radiology equipment procured for the hospital.

Another report by Nabaloum Abdel Aziz, working with Edition Sidiwaya, brought the attention of government officials to an abandoned health facility in the village of Vohogdhin in the province of Koulpelogo in Burkina Faso. The construction of the facility had been abandoned for about 12 years, making it difficult for citizens in the area to access health care. Residents in the area and its neighbouring communities had to travel for about 20 – 30 km to access health care, delaying access to timely health care delivery which sometimes led to death of children.

Following Nabaloum’s story, government officials have pledged to complete and finalise the construction of the hospital and operationalise it by early 2020. In a follow up article by Nabaloum, the government officials again held high level meetings with the Investment Fund for Decentralised Communities (FICOD) to speed up the funding process and begin work.

Ouoba Boukari, of the Bi-monthly Mutation, produced a story that highlighted alleged cases of corruption at the Dori hospital in the Sahel region. The report revealed incidence of doctors and other health professionals requesting extra monies from patients before providing health-care services for which the patients had already made the required payments to the authorised cashiers at the hospitals. The story published the names of some of the doctors and other persons involved in the practice. As a result, Reseau National de Lutte Anti-corruption (REN-LAC), filed a law suit against the identified perpetrators. Boukari’s story also won him the second-best anti-corruption report at the 2019 edition of the Anti-Corruption Awards from the REN-LAC.

The MFWA under its Media and Good Governance Programme, remains committed to supporting and strengthening the media as effective enablers of participatory accountable and transparent governance in the region. This initiative forms part of the project titled “Enhancing citizens participation in governance and demand for accountability through effective governance and dialogue platform’’ which is being implemented in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Senegal with funding support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Buhari’s Government Failing Tolerance Test as Two Weeks of Repression Raises Alarm

Kwaku Asante
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Buhari’s Government Failing Tolerance Test as Two Weeks of Repression Raises Alarm

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is deeply concerned about  Nigerian authorities’ clampdown on freedom of expression as demonstrated in the arrest and detention of journalists, political activists and demonstrators over the past two weeks.

The onslaught which began on August 3, 2019, with the arrest of political activist and publisher of the Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sorowe, has claimed several victims, including anti-government demonstrators. Sorowe, a vocal critic of the Buhari government, recently launched a movement called Revolution Now. On August 3, he called Nigerians to come out and demonstrate on August 5 against perceived misrule and corruption in Nigeria to herald a revolution. He was however arrested at his hotel in Lagos by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

On August 8, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the DSS permission to detain Sowore for 45 days without charge under Nigeria’s Terrorism Act.

On August 5, the day of the planned demonstration, Ibrahim Dan Halilu, described by the media as a communication specialist, was also arrested for expressing solidarity with Sorowe on Facebook. In the said post, Dan Halilu also expressed indignation about corruption, poverty and other ills affecting Nigeria. Operatives of the DSS raided his house in Rigachikun, in Kaduna State and took him away around 2:00 PM local time, according to the online press Vanguard Nigeria. He has since been detained without charge, nor has he been arraigned before a court.

Halilu’s arrest and detention, just like the case of Sorowe, has been widely condemned by press freedom groups and activists in Nigeria.

“Mr. Halilu was arrested and being held in unlawful and unconstitutional detention as no charge has been filed against him or has he been arraigned before any court of law as required by Section 35 (4) and (5) of the Constitution. We strongly condemn such arrogant violation of the Constitution and careless disregard for the rights of a citizen,” said Mr. Edetaen Ojo, Executive Director of Media Reform Agenda (MRA).

Despite the arrest of Sorowe and threats by security forces, a large crowd turned out in front of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos on the appointed day to demonstrate in response to the activist’s call. The police also carried out their threats by brutalising the demonstrators, eight of whom were arrested.

Victor Ogungbero, a cameraman working with Sahara Reporters who was covering the protest, was also manhandled and taken into detention at the Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos State.

 “He was beaten and dragged on the floor while being taken away,” reported Sahara Reporter, quoting an eyewitness.

Nine days into the arrest of Dan Halilu, Victor Ogungbero and the eight demonstrators, the police in Yobe State, northeastern Nigeria, on August 14, 2019, arrested Sunday U. Japheta, a police officer who took to Facebook to vent his frustrations about the plight of police officers in the country. Japheta bemoaned the recent killing of his colleagues in Taraba State, in northeastern Nigeria and unpaid salaries to members of the police service.

The state commissioner of police, Sunmonu Abdulmaliki, confirmed the arrest of Japhet but declined to give details of the arrest. Japhet is going to be arraigned before the martial court for disciplinary measure for expressing his opinion aloud on social media platform.

There was yet another attack on the right to peaceful assembly on August 19, as security forces were deployed to prevent people from assembling at the Lagos Centre, Ikeja, Lagos for a scheduled rally called by the Coalition for Revolution (CORE). The strong contingent of police and military officers sealed off the venue with eyewitness reports saying that some people who had come for the event were arrested.

The event was, however, held later in the day, following a meeting of leading CORE members including Femi Falana with the state Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, who gave the clearance.

Meanwhile, a BBC reporter, Andrew Gift, was arrested by the police while he was covering the earlier stand-off between security officers and members of the CORE. Gift was detained in a police van and forced to delete pictures and videos he had taken of that morning’s events.

The Media Foundation for West Africa is deeply concerned about the series of arrests in connection with critical Facebook posts in the country and the crackdown on peaceful assembly. The organisation joins media and free expression rights groups in Nigeria to call on authorities to demonstrate their commitment to the rights to freedom of expression as enshrined in the country’s constitution and several regional and international frameworks that the country has ratified by releasing Dan Halilu, Sorowe and others.

The MFWA is urging authorities to ensure a fair and impartial court martial for Japhet. In the meantime, we appeal to the leadership of the Police service to ensure that the rights of all the people in detention are not abused.

Ghana Police Adopts Framework on Police-Media Relations, Safety of Journalists

Kwaku Asante
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Ghana Police Adopts Framework on Police-Media Relations, Safety of Journalists

The Ghana Police Service (GPS) has adopted a new framework aimed at promoting relations between the Service and the media, enhancing safety of journalists and countering impunity for crimes against journalists in Ghana.

The adoption of the Framework followed over a year-long series of multi-stakeholder engagements and consultations facilitated by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) with funding support from UNESCO, OSIWA and IFEX.

The process commenced with a forum on Police-Media relations in Ghana on July 11, 2018, which was addressed by the then Inspector General of Police, Mr. David Asante-Apeatu. The forum concluded with a key recommendation for the development and adoption of a formal framework to guide relations between the Media and the Police.

Following the recommendation of the forum, a multi-stakeholder Committee known as the Committee on Police-Media Relations was set-up with a responsibility of implementing the key recommendation of the forum.  The Committee was made up of representatives of the GPS, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), National Media Commission (NMC), Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Ghana Community Radio Network (GCRN), Editors Forum-Ghana, Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) and Private Newspaper Publishers Association (PRINPAG).

The Committee subsequently appointed a Consultant who led the process of developing a draft Framework. After a series of reviews and inputting by the Committee, a presentation of the draft framework was made to Police Management Board (POMAB) on May 22, 2019, for input and consideration.

On June 20, 2019, POMAB wrote to MFWA indicating its approval of the Framework.

“The Police administration also acknowledges the need for all police officers and journalists to be trained on the framework and therefore takes the opportunity to appeal to the Foundation to support actions and strategies for printing, distribution and dissemination of the final copies of the framework and its content to officers and journalists nationwide,” the letter said.

The Police Management Board also indicated that it has given approval to a Complaints Settlement Mechanism that is aimed at ensuring that attacks on journalists are properly investigated and resolved.

“A complaint desk shall be set up at the National and Regional levels to be composed of Officers from the Public Affairs Directorate of the Headquarters, a representative of the CID, Legal and Prosecution, Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and PRINPAG. At the Regional level, Police Administration proposes Public Affairs Officers and representatives of the Regional CID and GJA in the regions,” the POMAB letter said.

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