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FOE Situation in West Africa: Assaults, Detentions Blight March 2019

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FOE Situation in West Africa: Assaults, Detentions Blight March 2019

Five journalists and two bloggers were detained in five incidents in the turbulent month of March 2019, which also saw four journalists assaulted in two separate incidents in West Africa.

The month began on a sad note for Obinna Don Norman, owner and editor-in-chief of The Realm News. Obinna was arrested and detained by the police on the very first day of the month while he was participating in a live political programme at Flo FM, based in Umahia, the capital of Abia State in Nigeria. The journalist has since been held at the Afara Ibeku Prison in Umuahia. He is charged with cyberstalking and harassment of Abia State Senator, Theodore Orji, on February 21, 2018.

In the second incident of detention, two popular bloggers were held in prison custody in Mauritania on charges of publishing a false story about the government. Abderrahmane Weddady and Sheikh Ould Jiddou were first summoned by the Public Prosecutor on March 22 over their Facebook posts about an alleged secret bank account supposedly owned by relatives of Mauritanian President, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. They were interrogated and placed in detention by an investigating judge. Three days into their detention, police raided Weddady’s home and took away his computer. On March 27, the bloggers were transferred to the central prison of Nouakchott

Still in Mauritania, the police briefly detained two journalists and deleted recordings from their camera on March 26. Bilal Camara and Mohamed Lemine Ould Isselmou, were covering a demonstration in front of the presidential palace in Nouakchott by mothers of orphans protesting against the closure of an NGO that cared for orphans.

There was another case of detention on March 26, this time in Guinea, where the police arrested Lansana Camara, deputy managing editor of the news portal conakrylive.info over an investigative story he had written about fuel procurement at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was detained in the Conakry Central Prison for eight days, following a defamation complaint by the sector Minister.

In the fifth incident of arrest and detention, four armed men suspected to be operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) arrested Jones Abiri, publisher of Weekly Source newspaper, on March 30. Mr. Abiri was in the company of his colleagues at the premises of the newspaper’s offices at Yenogoa, Bayelsa State when he was arrested at gunpoint and taken away in a vehicle.

In the only incident of threat, Manasseh Azure Awuni of the Multimedia Group based in Accra began receiving chilling threats from unknown persons after he did a politically sensitive investigative documentary about a vigilante group reportedly aligned to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). The documentary was aired on March 7.

There were also cases of assault against journalists and media organisations during the month under review.

A group of police officers in Mauritania perpetrated wanton assault on a journalist, Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Khouye, on March 2. The journalist was returning home from work when he was accosted by a police patrol team. Despite answering their questions and identifying himself as a journalist, Ould Khouye was taken to a police station in Nouakchott and assaulted.

The indents of physical attacks continued, this time against a media house. On March 5, some unknown assailants attacked Joy FM, a radio station based in Monrovia. The attackers disrupted the station’s transmission by cutting the cables connecting the antenna to the transmitter.

On March 14, a group of police officers brutalised Malik Sulemana and Raissa Sambou, both reporters, and Salifu Abdul Rahman, an assistant editor of the State-owned Ghanaian Times newspaper. The three were on their way to cover a story in Accra when a traffic incident resulted in a row between them and the police.

There was yet another attack on a radio station on March 15 when a pastor, Reverend Owusu Bempah stormed the premises of Accra-based Radio XYZ accompanied by four thugs. The invaders said they were looking for one of the station’s presenters, Mugabe Maase, whom the pastor said had made derogatory remarks about him on his show.

In Togo on March 25, the media regulator, Haute Autorité de l’Audiovisuel et de la Communication (HAAC), in a communiqué revoked the licence of the Bonero Lawson-Betum, owner and Managing Editor of La Nouvelle newspaper, for what it described as “deliberate refusal to respect the fundamental principles of journalism.” The revocation indefinitely bars Lawson-Betum from publishing La Nouvelle newspaper.

Amidst the gloom created by the above violations, Ghana provided some consolation and a measure of self-redemption for the three violations it recorded; the country’s Parliament finally passed into law the Right to Information Bill which had been before it for ten years. The law was passed on March 26, 2019, nearly 20 years after the bill was first drafted. The bill is expected to promote accountability and enhance the fight against corruption by facilitating access to public information, in line with Article 21 (1) (f) of the Constitution that guarantees the right to information.

Solidarity March Pays off: Editor Released after a Week in Detention

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Solidarity March Pays off: Editor Released after a Week in Detention

Lansana Camara, the editor of the news portal conakrylive.info, has been released after spending eight days in detention over defamation charges.

The journalist was released on April 2, 2019, after his colleague journalists from across Guinea’s capital, Conakry, organised a solidarity march that day to demand an end to his detention. The march began in front of the headquarters of the media regulatory body and ended at the premises of the Ministry of Justice.

Camara was arrested by the Police Criminal Investigations Department on March 26, 2019, following a defamation complaint by Guinea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mamadi Toure. The complaint relates to an article published by Camara in which he alleged that the Foreign Affairs Ministry had placed unbudgeted orders for the importation of fuel for use at the ministry, and raised questions about the amount involved.

Under pressure from the media, the authorities released the journalist, although they maintained the judicial processes will continue. Incidentally, the investigating judge at a Magistrate’s Court in Conakry had only the previous day rejected an application from Camara’s lawyers for his release.

The MFWA welcomes Camara’s release as his detention contravened the country’s press law (Loi Organique L002) of June 22, 2010, which decriminalises press offences in Guinea.

We commend the media fraternity in Guinea for displaying solidarity in the face of this grievous press freedom violation. We condemn the treatment of Camara like a criminal in what is clearly a civil matter and urge the authorities to discontinue all criminal proceedings against him.

Gambian Authorities Withdraw Intrusive Screening for Accreditation of Journalists

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Gambian Authorities Withdraw Intrusive Screening for Accreditation of Journalists

A controversial policy to subject journalists covering the Presidency to intensive security screening has been withdrawn following a backlash from the media.

In a statement issued on April 2, 2019, The Gambia Press Union (GPU), MFWA’s partner organisation in that country, announced that the new screening procedure has been withdrawn.

“At the meeting this morning, DPPR Amie Bojang-Sissosho said following a discussion with the GPU President and Secretary General and consultation with her State House colleagues, her office came to the conclusion that the screening of journalists by NIA would not go ahead,” the GPU said.

The Director of Press and Public Relations (DPPR) at the Presidency, Aamie Bojang-Sissosho, recently distributed a document titled “Policy on Media Access to State House” to all media houses. On March 27, a reporter from the Foroyaa newspaper who applied for accreditation was informed he might be called for security screening at the National Intelligence Service Agency (NIA).

The media fraternity in The Gambia, however, protested that the additional screening was too intrusive and also not clearly specified in the new policy document.

On March 30, 2019, the GPU convened an emergency meeting to consider the implications of the new screening procedure. At the end of its deliberation, it issued a communiqué rejecting the directive and advising Gambia’s journalists to stay away from the new arrangements pending a conclusive discussion with the authorities on the matter.

The GPU said the existing mode of screening requiring journalists to submit their national identity cards and fill a form prepared by the State House was enough for background checks.

“Now in addition to this, with the new policy, journalists are required to go before a panel of NIA officials for security screening which could last for about an hour,” the GPU had said in the communiqué.

It said also that the policy could be abused by the authorities to target critical journalists.

“We are of the view that the new measure provides room for abuse of press freedom [and] that it could be used in the future to shut out media professionals who are deemed to be critical of government and government officials,” the statement said.

The MFWA shares the concerns of the GPU and therefore, welcomes the withdrawal of the controversial policy.

MFWA Welcomes Ghana’s RTI Law With Caution

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MFWA Welcomes Ghana’s RTI Law With Caution

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) cautiously welcomes the passing of the Right to Information (RTI) Bill into law by the Parliament of Ghana and calls for continued engagement on its implementation.

The Law, which seeks to operationalise Article 21 (1) (f) of the Constitution that guarantees the right to information, was passed on March 26, 2019, 19 years after the process began. As a piece of legislation intended to promote accountability and enhance the fight against corruption, the passing of the RTI law, which was first drafted in 1999, is certainly a positive development.

With the passage of the law, Ghana has moved closer to correcting a fundamental flaw in its anti-corruption and good governance legal framework. It also fulfills a longstanding commitment under the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Initiative signed by the government in 2011.

We, therefore, commend the leadership and members of Parliament, the media, the Media Coalition on RTI, the Ghana RTI Coalition and other citizens who played various roles in getting the RTI bill passed.

We wish to caution, however, that the real test is in the implementation of the law, and therefore, urge all stakeholders to remain alert. This caution is particularly appropriate because of the provision deferring the implementation of the law to the beginning of the 2020 financial year without detailing the timelines for putting in place the necessary structures and administrative systems for its effective realisation, as demanded by the Media Coalition on RTI.

 The above concern, together with Article 13 which protects deliberative processes from disclosure under the RTI, constitutes a pitfall that needs to be watched and worked at going forward.

It is obvious that coming 19 years after it was first put before Parliament, amidst several back-and-forths and  missed deadlines spanning three Parliaments, the law has been delivered grudgingly. Consequently, it is the view of the MFWA that the public, civil society organisations and the media will have to follow the implementation process with the same vigilance and outspoken campaigns to prevent the RTI law from becoming a piece of legislative white elephant.

The RTI experience in Burkina Faso is a typical example of politicians appeasing public demands for access to information with a half-baked law. Four years after the Transitional Administration in that country passed a framework RTI Law no.051-2015/CNT, it is yet to be made functional, because a promised subsidiary legislation to operationalise it is yet to be passed.

Sometimes too, when good laws are passed, its implementation is frustrated by a lack of commitment on the part of public officers accustomed to the old ways of secrecy.

In the light of the Burkinabe experience and the fact that many other African countries have adopted RTI Laws that have made very little impact in promoting accountable and transparent governance, we reiterate the need for continued engagement on the outstanding issues about Ghana’s RTI Law. Consequently, we call on the media keep a strong  focus on the implementation processes and to educate the public about their rights under the law.

Repairing Relations with the Media: Police Take Important Measures

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Repairing Relations with the Media: Police Take Important Measures

Subjected to a barrage of strident public criticism over the past two weeks after a brutal assault on a group of journalists by some police officers, the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has responded positively by interdicting the officers involved.

On March 14, 2019, a police officer riding a motor bicycle hit and broke the side mirror of a car carrying three journalists from The Ghanaian Times newspaper who were on their way to cover an event. When the journalists confronted him, the policeman was joined by other police officers to assault them.

The assault on the journalists raised a huge outcry from the media and civil society, including the MFWA, urging the police to investigate the matter and punish the culprits. Fortunately, the police have reacted positively by suspending the offending officers pending further investigations.  They are Inspector Isaac Opare of the Ministries Divisional Police, Sergeant Ebenezer Akrofi of Accra Regional Police Headquarters and Corporal Evans Kofi Ntim of the Police Visibility Unit in Accra.

A statement signed by the Director-General of the Public Affairs Directorate of the Ghana Police Service (GPS), ACP David Eklu, on March 19, 2019, said the Inspector-General Police (IGP), David Asante Apeatu, has also directed the Accra Regional Crime Officer to take over the investigation of the incident from the Ministries’ Police Station.

“Additionally, the Police Professional and Standard Bureau (PPBS) has also been directed to look into the conduct of the Police officers who were on duty at the Ministries Police Station when the incident was reported,” the statement added.

The MFWA welcomes the action of the Police Administration as positive and indicative of the authorities’ commitment to dealing with errant officers who assault civilians and journalists arbitrarily.

This decision by the police authorities demonstrates a new resolve by the police to build bridges with the media fraternity. In line with this new resolve, the Police Administration is collaborating with key media stakeholders in Ghana to adopt a Framework on Police-Media Relations and Safety of Journalists aimed at improving relations between the two institutions and protecting the safety of journalists. The media stakeholders include the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), the Ghana Journalists’ Association (GJA), the National Media Commission (NMC), Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Editors’ Forum Ghana, Ghana Community Radio Network, (GCRN) and the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG).

The process, which began in July 2018, was part of recommendations adopted at a joint-forum organised by the MFWA and the Ghana Police Service (GPS) to address police brutality against journalists. It was also against the background of several violations against journalists that had gone without any investigation and prosecution, a situation that created a perception of lack of commitment on the part of the police to protect journalists.

As part of the process, the Police Public Affairs Directorate on March 21, 2019, hosted a meeting with the media stakeholders involved in the development of the Framework on Police-media Relations and Safety of Journalists at the GPS National Headquarters in Accra to discuss and review the draft Framework.

The Framework which is currently being finalised will be submitted to the Police Management Board (POMAB) for approval and eventual adoption. The document is expected to enhance police-media relations, and promote and protect the safety of journalists, and reduce impunity in Ghana.

The MFWA commends the efforts of the GPS to create a better working relationship with the media and to ensure a safer environment for journalists to carry out their work, and we reiterate our commitment to supporting the process.

Creeping State of Insecurity for Journalists in Ghana: Reporters Brutalised, Radio Station Stormed, Journalist threatened in One Week

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Creeping State of Insecurity for Journalists in Ghana: Reporters Brutalised, Radio Station Stormed, Journalist threatened in One Week

It was a turbulent period for the media in Ghana last week. In what appears to be a creeping state of insecurity for journalists the week has recorded a number of attacks on press freedom.

On March 14, 2019, a group of police officers brutally assaulted three journalists from the Ghanaian Times newspaper, leaving one in a critical but stable condition at the hospital. The journalists, who were on their way to cover a programme, got embroiled with one police officer who had knocked the mirror of their car with his motor bicycle. Other police officers joined in assaulting the journalists.

A day later on March 15, a pastor, Reverend Owusu Bempah stormed the premises of Accra-based Radio XYZ with four thugs in search of one of the station’s presenters, Mugabe Maase. The pastor said the presenter had made derogatory remarks about him during the previous day’s edition of the political talk show that the presenter hosts at the station.

Threatening to kill Maase and get the station closed down, Owusu Bempah reportedly created chaos at the station as his thugs attempted to manhandle guests who condemned the invasion. It is the second time in four months that the pastor has attacked a radio station.

“We unreservedly condemn this dastardly act by Prophet Owusu Bempah and trust that the security agencies shall deal with the matter expeditiously,” a statement from the management of Radio XYZ said. The management has since reported the matter to the police.

Prior to these incidents, investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni of the Multimedia Group had been receiving chilling threats from unknown persons. The threats followed the release of an investigative documentary by the journalist on March 7, 2019, about a vigilante group reportedly aligned to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), which has been using the former seat of government, the Osu Castle, as its training grounds.

The Media Foundation for West Africa is deeply concerned about the sad events of the past week which add to a growing number of press freedom violations in Ghana in recent times.  These violations create a creeping sense of insecurity for journalists and the media in Ghana which is otherwise held up as a model in Africa in terms of respect for press freedom.

We, therefore, call on all the stakeholders, especially the police, to take urgent steps to arrest Ghana’s slide into press freedom notoriety. We also urge the Christian Council of Ghana to call Reverend Owusu Bempah to order, given that this is not the first time he has attacked a radio station.

Investigate Police Attack on Ghanaian Times Reporters, Punish the Perpetrators – MFWA

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Investigate Police Attack on Ghanaian Times Reporters, Punish the Perpetrators – MFWA

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has learnt with shock the brutal assault on three journalists from one of Ghana’s leading newspapers, The Ghanaian Times, and calls on the police administration to investigate the incident and punish the culprits.

The journalists, Malik Sulemana and Raissa Sambou, both reporters, and Salifu Abdul Rahman, an assistant editor, were brutalised on March 14, 2019, while they were on their way to cover a story.

The Ghanaian Times reported that a police officer riding on an unregistered motor bicycle hit and destroyed the mirror of the journalists’ car which was stuck in traffic. The driver of the journalists reportedly chased the hit-and-run police officer and managed to stop him in traffic. The exchanges between the two degenerated and the police officer was further angered when the other journalists, who had arrived at the scene, began to film the incident with their phone. The policeman pounced on the journalists and physically assaulted them.

The policeman is reported to have punched Malik’s face, drawing blood oozing from his nostril and elbowed Raissa, who is also a nursing mother, leaving her unconscious.

The policeman was later joined by other police officers to assault the journalists. Malik Sulemana was handcuffed and taken in a police vehicle to the Ministries Police Station in Accra where he was detained as a suspect.

“They ignored my plea to them to send me to the hospital for medical attention. While lying almost motionless in the police cell, they brought me on the staircase to an office on the second floor. They dragged me back into the cell and urged the inmates to beat me up when I insisted to write my statement only in the presence of my lawyer,” Malik Sulemana narrated to Ghanaian Times newspaper.

Sulemana has been treated and discharged from the hospital while Raissa Sambou, who was rushed to the hospital after being knocked unconscious, is said to be responding to treatment.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, ACP David Eklu, has confirmed to MFWA that the officers involved in the incident have been identified and their statements taken. He indicated that the Divisional Commander of the Ministries Police Station has been asked to submit a report to the Police Headquarters by close of day (March 15), adding that the Police administration takes a serious view of the incident and will ensure that justice is done.

This incident comes nearly a year after a similarly brutal police assault on Joy news reporter Latif Iddris at the premises of the police headquarters. This incident which occurred on March 27, 2018, has since not been redressed despite several assurances by the police authorities.

The MFWA takes the police administration by their word and urges them to demonstrate their abhorrence of the unprofessional behaviour of the officers involved by bringing them to book. We also call on the management of the Ghanaian Times to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.

February 2019 in West Africa – Peaceful Polls, Repeal of Criminal Libel Brighten FOE Landscape

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February 2019 in West Africa – Peaceful Polls, Repeal of Criminal Libel Brighten FOE Landscape

Two major elections were held in West Africa in February 2019 with relatively positive outcomes for journalists’ safety, despite a few skirmishes. General elections were conducted in Nigeria on February 23, while Senegal organised presidential elections the following day.

Ahead of the elections, Senegal recorded a disturbing incident in which the bus of the press corps covering the campaign of opposition candidate, Issa Sall, came under attack from supporters of President Macky Sall in the city of Tambacouda, some 420 kilometres east of the capital, Dakar. Eight journalists were injured in the attack which occurred on February 11. There was, however, no further press freedom violations recorded during the elections.

Nigeria, on the other hand, had a largely incident-free build-up to the polls, but recorded a few issues on Election Day (February 23). Five journalists were arrested in a single incident while they were going to interview Peter Obi, the vice presidential candidate of the PDP in Anambra State.

A photojournalist was critically wounded when he was hit by a bullet fired into his home by unidentified men in military uniform. In other incidents, some groups of journalists were barred from monitoring the collation of results at some polling stations in various states including Delta and Lagos states in the south and in the northern states of Bauchi and Kebbi.

Disturbing though these violations are, the incidents show a marked improvement compared to the number and severity of press freedom violations recorded during previous elections in Nigeria.

On February 10, 2019, about two weeks before the election-related incidents in Nigeria, gunmen suspected to be sympathisers of the George Weah government, attacked Roots FM based in Monrovia, Liberia. The attackers carried away two transmitters, an amplifier and other studio equipment. It was the second such attack on the highly critical radio station in ten days.

Liberia grabbed the headlines again for the wrong reasons when on February 21, the lower Chamber of the country’s parliament decided that it was bored with the “repetitive” reports of journalists covering the House and decided to revoke their accreditation. The house subsequently wrote to the respective media houses to nominate new parliamentary correspondents, a move that was denounced as an interference with the independence of the media.

In apparent enforcement of the new measure, 18 out of 27 accredited journalists were barred from covering the House on February 21 by the Deputy Sergeant at-arms, who cited lack of space.

It was not all gloom from Liberia however, as the country redeemed itself with President Weah signing into law a bill to decriminalise libel. The President signed to approve amendments to sections 11:11, 11.12 and 11.14 of the country’s criminal code which prescribed prison terms for a range of speech offenses. The Senate endorsed the bill on February 7, 2019, after the House of Representatives had approved it on July 3, 2018.

There was another positive development, as Issiaka Tamboura, Editor of the Soft newspaper in Mali, was released unhurt on February 18 after more than 30 days in captivity. Tamboura was kidnapped in central Mali by a suspected militant group on December 27, 2018.

In another development, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and Nigeria Union Journalist (NUJ), with the support of the International Media Support (IMS), organised a forum on media and police relations in Abuja from 6th-8th February, 2019.

The forum brought together senior journalists and editors in Nigeria, senior police officers and commissioners of the police service in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria as well as resource persons from Canada. The forum provided a platform for the law enforcement agencies and the media to share experiences and build mutual trust in order to ensure journalists’ safety before and during the country’s February 23 elections. In a ten-point resolution adopted after the forum, the two parties made commitments to observe the highest professional standards and respect the roles of each other to ensure journalists’ safety and peaceful elections.

The forum contributed to the relatively peaceful police-media relations during Nigeria’s just-ended elections.

International Women’s Day 2019: Women Journalists, Press Freedom Advocates Across West Africa Share Inspiring Thoughts

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International Women’s Day 2019: Women Journalists, Press Freedom Advocates Across West Africa Share Inspiring Thoughts

The International Women’s Day is the time to celebrate the crucial role women play in society and to honour women who continuously play extraordinary roles in their communities, workspaces and countries. The day also present the opportunity to highlight the views, experiences, challenges and concerns of women on critical issues of development.

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has compiled solidarity messages from prominent female journalists and press freedom advocates across West Africa focusing on the theme for this year’s celebration “Think equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change”.

“While fewer African women are heard, I represent the echo of the millions of creative, inspiring and innovative strong women – challenging stereotypes through the media to show girls it can be done.”

–Wemimo Adewuni, Nigeria Info FM, Lagos-Nigeria

 

“We will have true progress when women are given fair representation, equal opportunities and adequate inclusivity across all sectors of society, especially in the media.”

–Daisy Prempeh, Media Foundation for West Africa, Ghana

 

 

“In Burkina Faso the government invests millions of CFA for the celebration on 8th March every year, while there are many women unheard-of who suffer unimaginable ordeals. As a journalist, we owe ourselves to bring to light these sufferings to decision makers. It is only by doing so that we can contribute to building a right and balanced society for all.’’

–Elza Sandrine SAWADOGO, de L’Economiste du Faso, Burkina Faso

 

“As we advance in our work, we need to involve more women since I believe it is a sure bet to critical developmental change. Let’s commit to telling the stories of women as we celebrate International Women’s Day.”

–Patricia Ama Bonsu, Ultimate 106.9FM (EIB Network), Ghana

 

“Women are not considered when it comes to occupying managerial positions in media houses. We want our bosses to trust us more and treat us the same as men are.”

–Afsétou SAWADOGO, Journal Sidwaya, Burkina Faso

 

 

“Many women are unable to come out of their shells due to fear and discrimination. But as Joyce Meyer says, if you listen to your fears, you will die never knowing what a great person you might have been. I urge every woman to step out and do exploit. Happy Womens Day!!!”

–Agnes Ansah, The Chronicle Newspaper, Ghana

 

 

“We need more women in the corporate, media and general civic space. We need women who will lead the discussions and drive for balance. Gender equality is key for the development of society.”

–Fouzia Tua Alhassan, Media Foundation for West Africa, Ghana

 

“On this day 8th March, I wish a happy celebration to all women across the globe for their everyday efforts for a better world. A special thought goes to all women journalist who everyday go through sun and rain to provide information to the population. A special thought to all these women who have lost their lives on duty. May their souls rest in peace. Another special thought goes to all these women who are victims of sexist discrimination and harassment. Let’s walk holding our heads high and let’s fight for our dignity. Happy International Women’s Day’’

–Patricia Adjisseku, Radio Kanal FM, Togo

 

“Governments across the continent must do more to ensure women and girls have equal access to the empowering opportunities the internet provides. Stakeholders must also collaborate to promote a free, safe and secured internet for women and girls.”

–Felicia Anthonio, African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX), Ghana  

 

 

“By practicing this job, I have learnt that for a woman to create a path through this jungle of sexist stereotypes, to move forward in this forest of the working world, she needs to fight. She needs to multiply her efforts and build a strong personality to exist and mark her generation. Happy International Women’s Day to these women fighters’’

–Sophie Sene, Media Foundation for West Africa, Senegal

 

 

 

“Life has taught me to believe in my ability and what I can achieve when given the same space to operate just like men. But several women are down there, unable to get to the top because of lack of support. Let’s help one another to become achievers.” #GenderEquality

–Selorm Helen, Freelance Journalist, Ghana

 

MFWA Hails Repeal of Criminal Libel in Liberia

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MFWA Hails Repeal of Criminal Libel in Liberia

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) welcomes the decriminalisation of libel in Liberia as a crucial catalyst for freedom of expression and press freedom in the country.

President Weah signed into law on February 28, 2019 a bill to amend sections 11:11, 11.12 and 11.14 of the criminal code which prescribed prison terms for a range of speech offenses. The Senate endorsed the bill on February 7, 2019 after the House of Representatives of the Liberian parliament had approved it on July 3, 2018, paving the way for President Weah’s eventual signature.

The successful abolition of prison terms for press offenses in Liberia is a culmination of a long and tortuous process. The first concrete sign of commitment to this process was shown by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who, as outgoing President, submitted to Parliament the bill to amend the repressive laws on July 20, 2017. The outgoing parliament could, however, not pass the law before it vacated in October that year.

Consequently, in a congratulatory message to President George Weah on January 22, 2018, exactly a month after his assumption of office, the MFWA and its partner organisation in Liberia, Centre for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP), urged him to prioritise the passage of the bill that his predecessor had put before the legislature.

As a demonstration of his commitment to the process, President Weah duly reintroduced the bill in Parliament with some amendments. As a further gesture of goodwill, he proposed ‘Kamara Abdullah Kamara Act of Press Freedom’ as the title of the bill, in honour of the late president of the Press Union of Liberia and press freedom activist.

Journalists and media houses in Liberia have suffered crippling fines, arbitrary closures or long custodial sentences for publishing information deemed defamatory. In a classic case in 2013, Rodney Sieh, the managing editor of the Frontpage Africa newspaper, was sentenced to 5,000 years in prison.

The sentence followed Sieh’s failure to pay an equally hefty fine of US$ 1.6 million in a civil suit for defamation brought by then Minister of Agriculture, Chris Toe. The journalist was later pardoned after he apologised as part of a deal to end the case.

In July 2015, Tony Lawal, a construction mogul, sued the publisher of the Nation Times, Octavin Williams for US$4 million in damages for an alleged defamatory article. The journalist was held in pre-trial detention for eight days.

On October 7, 2016, a Member of Parliament, Prince Moye, filed a US$1.5 million libel lawsuit against Philipbert Browne, the publisher of Liberia’s Hot Pepper newspaper. Browne was subsequently arrested and jailed without trial at the Monrovia Central Prison. The journalist’s ordeal followed an article he wrote which was based on an interview with an alleged rape victim.

Prince Moye, the alleged perpetrator of the rape, also sued Jah Johnson, the editor of Hot Pepper and Alfred Togbah, the publisher of The People newspaper, which first broke the rape story.

In the light of the nightmare that Liberia’s criminal libel law had become to journalists and the media, the repeal of the repressive law is a major relief. The MFWA commends President George Weah for adding one more ammunition to Liberia’s press freedom and freedom of expression arsenal. The country was one of the first to sign the Table Mountain Declaration which calls for the abolition of prison terms for speech offenses. Having already passed a right to Information Law, Liberia now has a complete set of legal tools to promote press freedom.

The MFWA urges the media to take advantage of the repeal of criminal libel to improve their their performance as a watchdog and source of information and education on critical national development issues, especially good governance and public service delivery. We also urge them to demonstrate more professionalism in order to enjoy the continued confidence of the public.

MFWA Rolls out Major Project to Promote Free and Independent Media in West Africa

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MFWA Rolls out Major Project to Promote Free and Independent Media in West Africa

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has commenced a major project on building the capacity of the media in West Africa aimed at promoting free, quality and independent media.

The project, titled Promoting Free, Quality and Independent media in West Africa through knowledge sharing and capacity building, is being implemented in several countries including Ghana, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Senegal.

The project seeks to fill the current information gap on critical media development issues, provide contextually-relevant data and enhance the institutional capacities of key and influential media organisations in the targeted countries as well as promote press freedom.

Consequently, the project will focus on research and knowledge generation on key media development themes such as media ownership patterns, audience mapping and targeting techniques and media capacity development. It will also address the capacity deficits of media institutions to improve their professionalism. Issues relating to press freedom and safety of journalists will also be advocated on through monitoring, documenting and reporting.

“We are in an era where there is little or no credible information on the media. There’s low professionalism in the media, coupled with poor editorial content and too much focus on commercialization. This is making the media increasingly less impactful, a situation that is affecting the public’s trust in the media. Also, there are critical issues of the media that must be studied to assist in providing development interventions. For instance, who owes the largest market share, what are the available sources of funding, what are the challenges, strengths, weaknesses, prospects, who owns what station etc., all these are not readily available,” said Abigail Larbi, Programme Manager Media Development and Good Governance Programme. “We hope that through this project, we will generate credible information on the media and generally improve media development, she added.”

Some of the activities under the project include Dissemination Fora with managers and editors of media outlets, In-house Mentoring of media houses, Knowledge-sharing convening with accomplished media experts and Monitoring, Documentation and Reporting of Press Freedom violations.

The project is being implemented with funding support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa.

Media’s Role in Fighting Corruption in Ghana: A 10-Point Recommendation by Key Stakeholders

Kwaku Asante
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Media’s Role in Fighting Corruption in Ghana: A 10-Point Recommendation by Key Stakeholders

Despite Ghana’s good governance and democratic credentials, corruption has remained endemic in the country’s public service and society. Indeed, but for a slight improvement recorded in 2018, statistics from the annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has shown a continuous decline since 2015.

As a watchdog of society, the media’s ability to monitor government officials, duty-bearers and the powerful in society to forestall the abuse of power and curtail corruption is vital for good governance and democracy.

Over the years there have been tremendous growth in media plurality in Ghana. Unfortunately, the growth has not translated into a stronger fight against corruption. While the media in Ghana have fairly attempted to play the watchdog role and the fight against corruption in their reportage, these efforts have not been adequate in stemming the corruption menace.

In the lead up to the 2016 elections, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as a candidate, campaigned extensively on fighting corruption and prosecuting corrupt officials when elected. The President on assuming office showed signs of commitment to fighting corruption by setting up the Office of the Special Prosecutor to serve as an independent investigative and prosecution body to make enquiries into corruption, bribery, and other criminal cases at the national level.

Nonetheless, two-years into the Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration there have been reported incidents of alleged procurement scandals, purported misappropriation of state funds, bribery allegations and perception of corruption. Given the critical role of the media in stemming the corruption menace, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) on February 12, 2019 convened a Town Hall meeting that brought together media experts, journalists, civil society organisations (CSOs), government representatives and the diplomatic corps to reflect on the media’s performance in fighting corruption two-years into the President Nana Akufo-Addo administration.

The event which was also broadcast live on one of Ghana’s leading radio stations, Citi FM, had as speakers: Ghana’s Auditor-General, Mr. Daniel Yaw Domelevo; award-winning Investigative Journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni;  Executive Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and Chairperson of the Board of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, Linda Ofori-Kwafo; and Executive Director of the MFWA, Sulemana Braimah.

After over two hours of thoughtful and insightful deliberations, participants and experts made the following key recommendations:

  1. The Right To Information (RTI) bill must be passed and effectively implemented to boost public access to information which is critical for promoting transparency and accountability.
  2. Ghana must embrace the opportunities provided by technology to adopt technology-driven service provision in order to reduce person-to-person contact in public service transactions.
  3. Individuals should be allowed to initiate anti-corruption litigations and those successful rewarded by the state.
  4. There should be a strong collaboration between the media and anti-corruption civil society organisations to help fight corruption.
  5. Newsrooms must begin to prioritise investigative, anti-corruption reporting particularly, and government and civil society organisations need to explore ways of supporting and incentivising media organisations and journalists who commit to fighting against corruption through their reportage.
  6. Journalists must be enterprising, courageous and employ ingenuity in their work, as these are critical to the media in combating corruption and holding duty-bearers accountable.
  7. The media must be professional and circumspect, and avoid misinformation in their anti-corruption work as anything to the contrary can only lead to public mistrust, which in turn reduce the media influence in the fight against corruption.
  8. Stakeholders must endeavour to offer capacity building support to the media particularly in critical issues such as public procurement, public contracting, data journalism, among others.
  9. The media and journalists themselves must endeavour to purge themselves of acts of corruption to earn the trust and support of the public.
  10. The state and all stakeholders should collaborate in ensuring the provision of safety nets for journalists especially those who do critical reporting on corruption.
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