Page 50 – Media Foundation For West Africa

Vacancy Announcement

Media and Good Governance

Vivian Affoah

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July 4, 2018

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is seeking an excellent, experienced candidate for the Position of Programme Officer in its Media, Democracy and Development Programme. The ideal candidate must have a good knowledge of the media environment in West Africa and ways of supporting the media to contribute towards good governance, democracy and sustainable development in West Africa. The candidate must also have a fair knowledge and experience in analytical report writing; results-oriented project planning, implementation and reporting.

Responsibilities

The Candidate must excel in his or her abilities to:

Write high quality analytical reports on key issues of development, trends in media development, and challenges and prospects of media development within the West Africa region
Propose and develop programme ideas and concept notes
Plan and implement media development and media for development initiatives
Plan and implement approved projects focusing on promoting investigative journalism
Support fundraising, visibility and outreach work of the organisation

Qualifications

Education: An advanced (Masters) degree in international relations, law, social science, media studies or a related field is required.

Experience: Candidates should have at least four years experience in programme or project management; project evaluation; or research. Experience in the NGO sector is a distinct advantage. A track record of strong writing skills, analysis and report writing will be an additional advantage.

How to Apply and Timelines

Please submit a cover letter and CV with contact information of at least two references to info[@]mfwa.org using “Application for Programme Officer M&D” as the subject of your email.

Deadline: Applications must be received by close of day on Friday July 13, 2018. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Social Media Activist Convicted and Jailed for Facebook Post

Free Expression Violations

Vivian Affoah

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July 4, 2018

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Social Media Activist Convicted and Jailed for Facebook Post

A high court in Ouagadougou has convicted and sentenced a social media activist to two months imprisonment for criticising the National Gendarmerie.

The verdict by a high court on Wednesday, July 3, follows Toure’s arrest on June 14, 2018 and detention for two weeks in connection with a Facebook post in which he criticised the leadership of Burkina Faso’s military for neglecting a gendarme who was injured in the line of duty.

In the said post, Toure condemned the security hierarchy for allegedly neglecting the gendarme “who risked his life to protect national security.”

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent says Toure was convicted for ‘disturbing public order’ while two other charges, ‘participating in demoralising the Defense and Security Forces (DSF)’ and ‘inciting the DSF to conspire against state security’ were dismissed. The prosecution had asked for a one-year jail term.

Lawyers for Toure have condemned the decision and indicated that they will put in an appeal.

“There was no offense committed. This it is not a very good step for freedom. Even at the time of (Blaise) Compaore, there was more freedom,” said Prosper Farama, lead counsel for Naim.

Toure’s arrest and detention for two weeks on charges of inciting the armed forces to revolt was spurious enough. His eventual conviction is detrimental to freedom of expression conditions in Burkina Faso which has otherwise made impressive progress over the past few years in terms of respect for press freedom, freedom of expression and access to information.

The MFWA therefore condemns the sentencing of Toure Naim and calls on the authorities to review the highly controversial decision.

Newspaper Blackout in Mauritania Ahead of Legislative Polls as Printing House Workers Go on Strike

Vivian Affoah

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June 25, 2018

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Newspaper Blackout in Mauritania Ahead of Legislative Polls as Printing House Workers Go on Strike

With legislative elections due in two months’ time, Mauritania’s newsstands have been empty following a strike by workers of the state printing press which has paralysed the print media industry since June 18, 2018.

All the newspapers in the country are printed by the state printing press, Imprimerie Nationale, and have, therefore, been caught in the crossfire of the strike action.

Workers of the Imprimerie Nationale are protesting the non-payment of government subsidy to the organisation for two years. They are also denouncing the failure of state institutions to settle their indebtedness to them, which has resulted in salaries falling into arrears, with social security and health insurance premiums unpaid for four months.

It is the second time this year that the print media in Mauritania have been let down by the state printing house. From December 11, 2017 to mid-January, 2018, the publishing house was hit by acute shortage of newsprints, resulting in empty newsstandsfor over a month, with about twenty newspapers affected.

Expressing his frustrations at the woes of the state printing press Moussa Samba Sy, President of the Regroupement de la Presse Mauritanienne, MFWA’s partner organisation in Mauritania, has said he suspects the act to be a government’s ploy to stifle the media.

“The national printing house depends on the state; it is obvious to some people that the government is using this to muzzle the press,” Samba lamented.

The vast, mostly desert, landscape of Mauritania makes newspaper distribution a daunting task. As a result, circulation is often limited to the capital and a few accessible cities, a limitation that translates into inadequate sales revenue and, ultimately, threat to sustainability.

In a bid to ease the crippling burden, the government intervened to offer support through subsidized newsprints and printing cost. However, the dependence on state subvention has put the private print media at the mercy of the government which can decide, and does sometimes decide, to switch off the subvention oxygen to suffocate the “ungrateful” beneficiaries and whip them into line.

In February 2016, for example, the government forbade all public departments and agencies from taking subscriptions and placing ads in private newspapers. Despite the authorities’ assurances that it was a temporary measure pending the introduction of a law to regulate such transactions, no bill has been laid before parliament to that effect, more than two years on.

The government’s handshake with the newspaper industry in Mauritania has clearly gone beyond the elbow. The embrace is getting too tight and suffocating, and the gesture of support is turning into something of a Trojan horse.

This is the time the private press in Mauritania desperately needs its independence and serenity to help mediate the political discourse for legislative and local elections which the country’s Electoral Commission has fixed for September 1, 2018, a little over two months from now. Official campaigning is scheduled for August 17-30, the Commission has stated. It is a measure of the deficit in access to independent information sources in Mauritania that the country has only five private TV stations and the same number of independent radio stations. Moreover, these electronic media outlets were allowed to operate only as recently as 2013.

Given the paltry size and relatively young electronic media industry, the continued absence of the about twenty independent newspapers and state-owned newspapers from the newsstands plunges the upcoming elections into profound media blackout. This is a rude test for media pluralism and citizens’ right to information. If not resolved immediately, the situation could affect fairness and balance in media coverage, the transparency of the electoral process and the credibility of the outcome.

The controversial referendum of August 5, 2017 recorded a paltry 53% turnout. If that is anything to go by, then a similar, if not worse turnout is highly probable, should the current newspaper crisis persist to deny the electoral process of the critical input of the print media.

Activist Arrested for Facebook Post

Digital Rights

Vivian Affoah

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June 21, 2018

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The authorities in Burkina Faso have arrested and detained an activist who criticised the National Gendarmerie for the alleged neglect of a gendarme who was wounded in the course of duty.

Naim Toure, was arrested on June 14, 2018 a day after he condemned the security hierarchy on his Facebook page for allegedly neglecting the gendarme “who risked his life to protect national security.”

The activist’s comment was a reaction to an article published in the national daily, Sidwaya, which reported that Henry Traore, a gendarme who was critically injured during an operation in a building occupied by alleged terrorists in the capital Ouagadougou, had been left to his fate by the authorities.

Following the Facebook post, the Gendarmerie accused Toure of inciting the armed forces to revolt and subsequently arrested him.

The MFWA condemns Toure’s arrest and detention as it constitutes an infringement on his freedom of expression and opinion rights. We call on the authorities in Burkina Faso to immediately release him and respect the rights of citizens to free expression offline and online.

Justice At Last: Gambia Finally Pays Compensation to Families of Ebrima Manneh and Deyda Hydara

Impunity

Vivian Affoah

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June 5, 2018

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Justice At Last: Gambia Finally Pays Compensation to Families of Ebrima Manneh and Deyda Hydara

There has been a major breakthrough in efforts to secure reparation for journalist victims of Yahya Jammeh’s reign of terror as the new government in The Gambia has paid 50% of the compensations to the families of two of the victims, Ebrimah Manneh and Deyda Hydara.

The initial 50% payment of the compensations is in fulfilment of commitments made by the Adama Barrow-led government following discussions between the families of the victims, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and the Gambia Press Union (GPU).

The compensation package for the third high-profile victim, Musa Saidykhan, is however, still being worked out between the government and the journalist.

The three journalists became symbols of former President Yahya Jammeh’s brutal crackdown on press freedom during the strongman’s 22-year dictatorship. Deyda Hydara, who was the co-founder and editor of The Point newspaper, was shot and killed on December 16, 2004. The ECOWAS Court ruled that The Gambian government failed to conduct a proper investigation into his murder and ordered the state to pay US$50,000 to his family. In the case of Chief Manneh, who worked for the Daily Observer newspaper, he was arrested and detained by then National Intelligence Agency (NIA), now renamed State Intelligence Service, and eventually disappeared. Like Manneh, Saidykhan, then editor-in-chief of the now defunct Independent newspaper, was arrested by the NIA and brutally tortured in detention. Following a suit by the MFWA on behalf of the victims, the Court in 2008 ordered The Gambia to pay US$100,000 in compensatory damages to Manneh, or in his absence, to his family. In 2010, the Court also ordered The Gambia to pay Saidykhan US$200,000.

The government of former President Jammeh had refused to abide by the ruling, rejecting repeated calls to do so.

However upon assumption of office in January 2017, the new government led by President Adama Barrow expressed his government’s commitment to comply with the Court’s judgement. This commitment was further reiterated at a ceremony to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2, 2017, The Gambian Minister of Information and Communications Infrastructure and a senior official of the Ministry of Justice affirmed the government’s commitment to paying the compensations to the families of the three victims.

Parents of Ebrima Manneh (seated) and his sister (first right) and the mediation team

Working with its national partner organisation, the GPU and with financial support from IFEX, the MFWA subsequently presented a legal position paper to the government urging them to comply with the Court’s decision. Following this, the MFWA and the GPU facilitated meetings between the Ministry of Justice and the families of Manneh, Saidykhan and Hydara to discuss and negotiate the payment of the compensations. At the meetings, the government representatives promised to make an initial 50% payment in the first half of 2018 and pay the rest by the end of the year.

The eventual fulfillment of this pledge is a major achievement in the long fight for justice for the victims as it comes during the 10th anniversary of the ECOWAS court ruling on the Manneh case. The government’s decision also amply demonstrates the goodwill of the new government in The Gambia and its commitment to justice, reconciliation and respect for human rights in the country.

The MFWA hails the progress made so far and reaffirms its continued commitment to supporting the process to ensure that the Gambian state’s outstanding obligations in respect of these emblematic cases are redeemed.

While we applaud the new government for this gesture, we call on the government to use today, June 5, 2018 being the tenth anniversary of the judgement of the ECOWAS Court to once and for all disclose the whereabouts of the disappeared journalist.

Threats: The Creeping Danger to Press Freedom, Freedom of Opinion in Ghana

Vivian Affoah

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June 1, 2018

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Threats: The Creeping Danger to Press Freedom, Freedom of Opinion in Ghana

Over the past two weeks, there have been incidents of threats and verbal assault on journalists and civil society activists in Ghana for exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of expression and opinion.

From May 18-30, 2018, two journalists and a civil society activist have been targeted with threats and verbal abuse for their work, which gives cause for concern.

Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako, Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide was the first to be threatened for expressing his opinion. The senior journalist had said on Accra-based Peace FM that he had deep respect for Otumfour Osei Tutu II, the king of the Asantes, but would not under any circumstance kneel before him. This was in reference to reports that some leading politicians, who had offended the king, had gone to kneel to seek his pardon.

The comment attracted hostility from a number of unknown individuals who issued threats against the journalist.

“If you are man come to Kumasi and say those things on Hello FM,” one person dared him on Facebook.

“I will come after you at Peace FM and deal with you. I will seize your bag of documents and burn them,” read another message.

While Baako was hounded on Facebook by unknown stalkers, his reporter and one of Africa’s most famous investigative journalists, Anas Aremayaw Anas, was abused and threatened by a prominent political figure. The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, has gone on the rampage over Anas’ latest investigative video on corruption in Ghana football. Sections of the yet to be published video reportedly features the president of the Ghana Football Association allegedly soliciting bribes from prospective investors in the name of Ghana’s president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Reacting to the story on Adom FM, the MP condemned Anas’ methods and called on the Inspector General of Police to withdraw the security that is provided at the journalist’s home. He warned Anas not to travel outside the country and threatened to blow his cover by releasing pictures of him to the public. Mr Agyepong went on to release purported photos of Anas on the morning show of his television station, Net 2 TV. These alleged photos of Anas, who always appears at public functions in disguise, have since been circulating on social media.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Journalists’ Association has condemned the MP’s rabble-rousing comments and called for increased security for the investigative journalist.

“According to sources close to the ace investigative journalist, apart from receiving messages containing threats of death, some unidentified persons have been tracking his office and other locations ostensibly to harm him,” the GJA said in, a statement on May 30, 2018.

The third person to be targeted with threats is Franklin Cudjoe, President of civil society organization, IMANI Africa. Cudjoe revealed in a Facebook post that he has been alerted by highly-placed state security sourcesto take precautions because some people are plotting to hurt him. Over the previous week, he had taken the government to task over a recent 89 million-dollar service contract in the telecom sector awarded to a Haitian company. Cudjoe said in the post that he had reported the threats to the police and tendered the alert he received as evidence.

The above incidents are clearly not complimentary of Ghana, which is otherwise admired worldwide as a country that upholds press freedom and cherishes diversity of opinion. They also pose serious threats to the practice of journalism and civil society activism in the country. When these happen, the country runs the risk of failing to hold duty bearers accountable, thus seriously undermining the fight against corruption.

The MFWA, therefore, calls for a vigorous public education drive about the threats that this creeping resort to threats against people with dissenting opinion can pose to our democratic culture and the quest for responsive, accountable and transparent governance in Ghana. We urge the security agencies to provide adequate security to Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Kweku Baako and Franklin Cudjoe to ensure that they are protected. We urge the Ghana media and civil society activists to remain resolute in taking duty bearers to task at all times.

AU Day: Prioritise Implementation of ACDEG to Enhance Fight Against Corruption

Regional Development

Vivian Affoah

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May 24, 2018

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AU Day: Prioritise Implementation of ACDEG to Enhance Fight Against Corruption

May 25 of every year is observed as African Union Day. It is a day set aside to commemorate the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was later replaced by the African Union (AU). The theme for this year’s celebration is “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation.”

Corruption in Africa, as observed by the 2016 African Governance Report IV, is one of the major impediments to structural transformation on the continent. The report identifies weak governance structure and institutions as one of the main determinants of corruption on the continent and thus threatening prospects for positive outcomes of transformation.

According to the 2018 Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International, African countries are among the top ten most corrupt countries in the world with Somalia leading in the ranking. The index suggests a direct correlation between the abject levels of poverty and the high prevalence of corruption.

This reality is a flagrant contradiction with the ideals espoused in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG). The Charter as a road map for the promotion of good governance on the continent enjoins State Parties to institutionalise good economic and corporate governance through the prevention and combating of corruption and related offences among other things (Article 33 Clause 3).

As the continent marks AU day today, the 14-member consortium of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working to create awareness and empower citizens to demand for implementation of the ACDEG calls on governments on the continentto prioritise the implementation of the ACDEG as part of efforts to ensure good governance.

The consortium also urges the media in Africa to join the crusade in creating awareness and popularising the ACDEG among African citizens to empower them to demand good governance practices on the continent.

The 14-member consortium of CSOs is made up of ActionAid Ghana, ActionAid Nigeria, ActionAid Sierra Leone, ActionAid Zambia, ActionAid Zimbabwe, ActionAid Tanzania, ActionAid Uganda, ActionAid Mozambique, ActionAid Denmark, Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI), West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF), East African Civil Society Organizations’ Forum (EACSOF) and SADC Council of Non-Governmental Organisation (SADC – CNGO). The project, ‘Mobilizing Civil Society Support for Implementation of the African Governance Architecture’ is being implemented with funding support from the European Commission.

Promoting Transparency and Accountability in Ghana: MFWA, DW Akademie to Hold Forum on Media and Corruption

Media and Good Governance

Vivian Affoah

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May 16, 2018

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Promoting Transparency and Accountability in Ghana: MFWA, DW Akademie to Hold Forum on Media and Corruption

Despite Ghana’s good governance and democratic credentials, corruption remains a significant constraint to the socio-economic and political development of the country.

The media as a result of their watchdog role and mandate to inform and educate the public, play a critical role in fighting corruption and promoting good governance. This they do through critical and investigative reporting which highlights issues of misappropriation of public resources and abuse of power.

To enhance the media’s ability to be incorruptible and also support the fight against corruption, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in collaboration with DW Akademie will on Wednesday, May 23, 2018hold a forum on “The Media and Corruption in Ghana” at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra.

The forum will bring together journalists, media experts, civil society groups, government representatives and the diplomatic corps to deliberate on issues of corruption and make key recommendations on effective ways the media in Ghana can support the fight against corruption.

This forum is organised with funding support from the German Cooperation.

Major Boost for Digital Rights in The Gambia

Vivian Affoah

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May 15, 2018

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Major Boost for Digital Rights in The Gambia

The enjoyment of digital rights has received a major boost in The Gambia with a ruling by the country’s Supreme Court declaring as unconstitutional the law on False Publication on the Internet, among other repressive pieces of legislation, namely defamation and aspects of Sedition.

The ruling, which also ordered the Government of The Gambia to repeal the offensive laws, followed a April 2017 civil suit filed by the MFWA’s national partner organisation, Gambia Press Union (GPU).

The law on False Publication on the Internet, which is a 2013 amendment to the Information and Communication Act, states thatA person commits an offence if he or she uses the internet to: spread false news against the Government or public officials; caricature, abuse or make derogatory statements against the person or character of public officials.

It also prescribes “a fine of three million dalasis (about US$63,800) or imprisonment for fifteen years or to both the fine and imprisonment.”

The Supreme Court however said the laws on False News as well as False Publication and Broadcasting are constitutional. On Sedition, the Court made a distinction between the provisions, making it criminal only where the alleged seditious materials refer to the person of the person, administration of justice or when it intends to promote hatred among different classes in society. It said there is no sedition when the target is the government as an institution.

“This court can find no reasonable justification for shielding persons who hold or occupy public office by criminalising criticism against them without appropriate safeguards for legitimate criticism. A person should not be merely prosecuted for having the audacity to criticise his or her government or any public functionary for that matter. A vibrant, decent and responsive democracy should shun that,” the Court said.

It also described the prescribed 15 years’ jail term as “a classic section of parliamentary over-kill.”

The court also ruled that sections 178, 179 and 180 of the Gambian Criminal Code, which penalises libel and defamation, are “inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee of free speech and freedom of the press and other media. It added that the restrictions, “absent all the necessary safeguards to protect the exercise of those rights and freedoms, are unnecessary in a democratic society.”

Human rights groups and press freedom organisations including the GPU have hailed the Supreme Court rulings as a huge boost for the enjoyment of freedom of expression and digital rights in the country.

This is because these laws have for several been used to suppress dissent. The infamous law on False Publication on the Internet was used to silent government critics during former ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh’s reign.

Victims of these repressive legislations include Ebrima Manneh, Musa Saidykhan, Omar Bah, Fatou Jaw Manneh, Sainey Marenah, Emil Touray, Lamin Fatty, Sulayman Makalo, Fatou Camara, and Alhagie Abdoulie Ceesay.

Ceesay, the last major victim of Jammeh was arrested and detained in July 2015 for sharing pictures of a gun and five bullets,pointing towards the image of the former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh on social networking site, WhatsApp. Ceesay was slapped with frivolous sedition and false publication charges of at both a Magistrates Court and High Court.While in detention, he was tortured and maltreated and was hospitalized on several occasions until his escape from hospital on April 21, 2016.

The latest ruling by the Supreme Court is therefore one the most eloquent testimonies yet about the improved level of judicial independence and the commitment of state institutions to protecting civil liberties in the post-Jammeh Gambia. It falls in line with the initiative by the MFWA and the GPU in which the two press freedom organisations are collaborating with the Gambian government through the Ministry of Information and Communication Infrastructure to advocate for the repeal of repressive media laws in the country as part of a broader Media Sector Reform Project in the post Jammeh-Gambia.

The MFWA therefore welcomes the Court verdict and congratulates GPU for the initiating the legal process to advocate for the repeal of retrogressive freedom of expression laws in The Gambia. We believe that this court ruling will set the tone for, and facilitate the work of the Ministries of Justice and of Information which have committed themselves under the said legal reform initiative to bring The Gambia’s expression laws in line with the best models.

WAMECA 2018: CALL FOR ENTRIES

Vivian Affoah

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May 11, 2018

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The second edition of the West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA) is slated for October 12 and 13, 2018 and will be held in Accra, Ghana.

WAMECA is an initiative of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) MFWA to promote media excellence in the sub region. The Conference will deliberate on key challenges to media development and explore ways in which stakeholders can effectively support the media to promote good governance, regional integration and peace in West Africa.

The Awards Ceremony will also honour West African journalists who have produced compelling works which have had significant impact on society. The Awards are opened to journalists from print, electronic and online media in Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone countries in West Africa.

Applicants must be West African, working with and for media organisation(s) based in West Africa. An Entry for the Awards must have been published or broadcast between the period January 1 to December 31, 2017.

WAMECA 2018 will honour outstanding works of journalism in West Africa in the following categories:

Telecoms Reporting
ICTs Reporting
Oil and Gas Reporting
Banking and Finance Reporting
Business and SMEs Reporting
Environmental Reporting
SDGs Reporting
Investigative Reporting
Anti-Corruption Reporting
Human Rights Reporting
Health Reporting
ECOWAS and Regional Integration Reporting
Photo Journalism
Peace and Security Reporting

The deadline for the submission of the entries is on June 30, 2018 at 17.00 GMT. Finalists for WAMECA 2018 Awards will be announced on September 11, 2018.

Interested applicants should upload published works via the entry form on the website: www.mfwa.org/wameca. The entry should be an original work published through a media outlet in West Africa and must show date of publication/broadcast and the medium in which the work was published. Applicants may submit entries to a maximum of two categories. For each category, a maximum of two entries is permitted.

Finalists for the awards will be hosted at West Africa Media Excellence Conference on October 12-13 2018, where the awards ceremony will be held. The Conference will feature sessions on topical journalism issues and also provide opportunities for networking among journalists, editors, and experts from West Africa.

Below are the important dates:

Deadline for submission of entries: June 30, 2018

Assessment of entries and selection of finalists: August 30 2018

Announcement of finalists: September 11, 2018

Conference: October 12, 2018

Awards Night: October 13, 2018

For more information, visit www.mfwa.org/wameca or email us at wameca[@]mfwa.org or call the MFWA on +233 302 -242470

Make your submission here.

Ghanaian Journalists Must Rise Up Against Tyranny, Intimidation

Impunity

Vivian Affoah

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May 9, 2018

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Ghanaian Journalists Must Rise Up Against Tyranny, Intimidation

Recent incidents of assault against journalists in Ghana paint a dire picture of the safety of journalists’ situation in the country and the trend must be fought back with all the power at the media’s disposal.

Particularly, the MFWA finds the current spate of physical attacks against Ghanaian journalists by both state and non-state actors very alarming.

On April 10, 2018, we reported that 17 journalists had been physically assaulted in the country over the previous 15 months. The report followed police brutalities against Latif Idris, a reporter with Joy News, who was covering an event at the headquarters of the Ghana Police Service in Accra.

Following this report, there were several assurances by the police that they would ensure that the growing trend of abuse against journalists are curbed. Indeed, following the controversial ranking of Ghana as having the freest press freedom environment in Africa by Reporters Without Borders, many government officials including the Minister of Information reiterated government’s commitment to protecting the rights of journalists. Also during the just-ended World Press Freedom Day event in Ghana, the Minister of Information and even the President of Ghana gave assurances that safety of journalists will be protected.

The MFWA therefore views with dismay the incident of May 4, 2018, in which one Hajia Fati a known NPP activist assaulted Ohemaa Sakyiwaa, a reporter of Accra-based Adom FM. This incident is especially outrageous and embarrassing as it happened just a day after Ghana hosted the world to observe the World Press Freedom Dayand at the headquarters of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

This is the second time in recent times that Hajia Fati has abused journalists. On January 31, 2018, she threatened a journalist with TV3 network in Accra, Kwakye Afreh-Nuamah, for reporting her colleague, one Hajia Boya Musah, to the police. Hajia Musah had the previous day issued death threats against the journalist whom she accused of repeatedly criticising the performance of Ghana’s Minister for Water Resources and Sanitation.

The assault on the Adom FM reporter is also the second such incident at the NPP headquarters in less than five months. In the first incident, which took place on December 21, 2017, four journalists from three media houses were brutalized by party security guards while covering a demonstration at the party’s headquarters. Regrettably, the party’s executives have not reacted to the incident despite a wave of public condemnation that followed it, including a petition from the MFWA to the Acting Chairman of the party, Mr. Freddie Blay, to ensure that the culprits are punished.

Although the NPP has, through its General Secretary, John Boadu, issued a statement to condemn the latest attack on Ohemaa Sakyiwaa, the statement has come too late and offers very little assurances. In the first place, the reaction comes after three days of passionate appeals, condemnations and threats of boycott. Secondly, the statement portrays an attitude of denial by referring to the assault as an “alleged” incident, despite the perpetrator’s own admission of the offense in a couple of interviews.

We commend the Multimedia Group for officially reporting the matter to the police and urge the police to ensure that justice is served.

We also commend all media organisations and journalists who have taken a stand against the on-going attacks on journalists and urge the media to take their fate into their own hands by showing solidarity and mobilizing themselves to fight back the creeping threat of tyranny and impunity.

Mutually Respectful Relations Between Police and Media Key to Peaceful and Democratic Elections

Media and Good Governance

Vivian Affoah

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May 1, 2018

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Mutually Respectful Relations Between Police and Media Key to Peaceful and Democratic Elections

Both media and security forces have major roles to play during the electoral process. Yet their relationship is at times antagonistic. A new report out 1 May, underlines the need for mutual understanding and respect between police and media during elections.

The publication Strengthening Police and Media Relations for the Safety of Journalists and Peaceful, Free and Fair Elections in West Africa, is based on a joint regional initiative by International Media Support (IMS) and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), in cooperation with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and will be released on May 1 in Accra, Ghana, in advance of World Press Freedom Day celebrations.

Both media and security forces play important roles during elections, but their relationship has at times been somewhat strained. While both have crucial tasks towards creating preconditions for elections to be peaceful, transparent and successful, there is a need for the two parties to have a deeper understanding of their respective roles and responsibilities.

“Promoting a healthy and mutually respectful working relationship between media and security forces and ensuring the safety of journalists are critical to enable media to fulfill their role of providing important information to citizens during electoral periods,” said Jesper Højberg, Executive Director of the NGO International Media Support.

To address this and create an atmosphere of mutual understanding and dialogue, IMS and MFWA with the support of ECOWAS have engaged with partners in Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone to implement several complementary activities in each country that had as their focus dialogue between police and media and enhancing the safety of media workers.

As one Liberian participant said: “Half the job of controlling security is providing reliable information to the community and that means working with the media.”

This publication seeks to provide inspiration and guidance in the form of best practices with a particular focus on promoting a constructive working relationship between the security and media sectors and thereby create an environment conducive for peaceful, free and fair elections in maturing democracies such as those of West Africa.

Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa said:

“We hope that the comprehensive approach highlighted and described in this new report will contribute to a broader understanding in our region of the importance of journalists being able to access and disseminate information while doing so responsibly and ethically. With better mutual understanding, security forces can carry out their mission of maintaining public order while respecting freedom of expression and the safety of journalists.”

IMS and MFWA are prepared to facilitate similar election related dialogue processes with interested partners in the region based on the concept described in the report and in a continued cooperation with ECOWAS.

The report will be available online in both French and English. The english version is available here. For more information visit mfwa.org or www.mediasupport.org or write to hwa{@}mediasupport.org.