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Nigeria Tops Press Freedom Violations in Second Quarter of 2015 – MFWA Report

Vivian Affoah
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Nigeria Tops Press Freedom Violations in Second Quarter of 2015 – MFWA Report

Nigeria was the worst violator of press freedom during the second quarter of 2015, a report by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has revealed.

The report is based on analyses of incidents of violations of press freedom in the 16 countries in West Africa and published as the quarterly West Africa Free Expression Monitor. According to the second quarterly report of 2015, which covered April to June, Nigeria recorded 11 incidents of violations, an increase of one from the first quarter. Nigeria recorded nearly three times more than the second worst offender, Guinea, which recorded 4 incidents. The MFWA recorded 32 incidents from April to June, 2015, down from 43 recorded incidents in the first quarter.

During the period covered by the report, incidents of violations were reported in ten countries. Besides Nigeria and Guinea, incidents were reported in Benin (3), Burkina Faso (1), Côte d’Ivoire (1), The Gambia (3), Ghana (3), Niger (3), Senegal (1), and Togo (2).

Though abuses by police or security forces reduced from 25 incidents in the first quarter to 16 this quarter, they were still the top violators in the region. Their actions clearly contravene states’ obligation to respect and protect human rights, including the right to free expression.

“Although police and security forces are mandated to respect and protect human rights, they have instead continued to infringe upon free expression rights and journalists’ safety,” said Muheeb Saeed, the Programme Officer for Free Expression Rights Monitoring and Campaigns.

The West Africa Free Expression Monitor analyses incidents of violations of press freedom in all 16 countries in West Africa – the 15 ECOWAS member states plus Mauritania. It highlights where violations occurred as well as the types of violations and perpetrators and other salient issues, such as media unprofessionalism.

Read the MFWA’s full report with executive summary and recommendations here.

Côte d’Ivoire: Opposition March against State Broadcaster to Demand Equal Access

Vivian Affoah
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On September 28, 2015, the Ivoirian opposition organised a march against the state broadcaster, Radiodiffusion Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI) to denounce what they called the government’s stranglehold on the state broadcaster.
The opposition march, which was led by former Prime Minister (2005-2007) Charles Konan Banny, ex-Speaker of Parliament Mamadou Koulibaly and other presidential candidates, called on the RTI to give equal access to all the candidates and political parties contesting the October 25, 2015 presidential election.
The MFWA’s correspondent in Cote d’Ivoire reported that the march, which was attended by hundreds of demonstrators, was peaceful with police on duty having no problems with the demonstrators.
The MFWA calls on the government of President Alassane Ouattara to allow the RTI to work independently and to give equal access to all political actors in Cote d’Ivoire. As a public-funded institution, the RTI is obliged to demonstrate neutrality and impartiality towards all political parties and candidates.
The MFWA also wishes to commend the demonstrators, their leaders and the police for the peaceful nature of the march. It is a healthy sign of democratic maturity and tolerance in the West African country. This is a departure from the worrying trend in some countries in West Africa where demonstrations became chaotic as a result of police brutality.  Countries such as Guinea, Benin and recently Ghana and Burkina Faso have recorded incidents of police brutality during demonstrations.

Ghana: High Court Judge Sues MFWA, Four Journalists

mesh
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Ghana: High Court Judge Sues MFWA, Four Journalists
A high Court judge, Justice Paul Uuter Dery, who has been implicated in a bribery and corruption expose by investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, has filed a suit at a High Court, citing the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and four journalists for contempt of Court.
The four others cited in the suit are the investigative journalist, Anas, acting editor and deputy editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Samuel Frimpong and Ernest Addo respectively; and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Starr FM, Nathan Kwabena Anokye Adisi.
The suit follows a two-year investigative story by Anas in which 34 judges and over 100 judicial service staff are captured on video receiving bribes to compromise cases before them. The investigative journalist has put together a 3-hour video showing a detailed account of the story including visuals showing the judges and judicial staffers receiving bribes.
The MFWA is partnering with the journalist to screen the said video at the public event and had publicly advertised the screening event scheduled for September 22 and 23.
In his suit, the Justice Derry indicates that he had filed a suit at a High Court seeking to place an injunction on the scheduled public airing of the video showing him and several other judges allegedly taking bribe to compromise cases before them.
In the contempt suit against the MFWA and the journalists, the judge avers that while his suit for injunction was pending, the defendants have been using different media platforms to release portions of the video of him (Justice Dery) allegedly taking bribe.
He argues that the alleged action of the defendants is in contempt of his original suit seeking injunction on the release of the video. He further argues that the said action by the defendants amounts to disrespecting the Court before which his injunction suit had been filed.
The judge is, therefore, asking the High Court to jail the Executive Director of the MFWA, the investigative journalist and his two editors, and the CEO of Starr FM for the contempt
The motion on notice for committal for contempt against the respondents was filed on Friday, September 18.

11 Women Trained By MFWA And Partners Get Elected In Ghana’s 2015 Local-Level Elections

Vivian Affoah
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The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) salutes all women who won their bids in the just-ended district-level elections in Ghana. We are particularly proud of 11 women from the Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions of Ghana who were beneficiaries of several capacity building and publicity programmes organized by the MFWA and partner organisations.

They are:

  • Rosina Zenabu Abdul-Rahaman – Jegung electoral area – Northern region
  • Adam Mariama – Nayilifong electoral area – Northern region
  • Hajia Issah Zelia  – Sagnarigu electoral area- Northern region
  • Adu Zina – Pusiga electoral area – Northern region
  • Yakubu Rihinatu – Wurishe electoral area – Northern region
  • Meimuna Sandow – Wulugu electoral area –  Northern region
  • Meimuna Mahama – Wantugu electoral area – Northern region
  • Marciani Belane – Nabugang electoral area – Upper West region
  • Mercy B. Nyame – Stadium residential electoral area – Sisala East – Upper West region
  • Ayamdor Angela – Bongo Anafobisi electoral area – Upper East region
  • Lydia Niyela –Kulpeliga electoral area –  Upper East Region

These women got elected regardless of the stiff competition from male opponents and the postponement of the election from March to September, 2015 which dealt a heavy blow to many aspirants, particularly, women.

In 2014, the MFWA in collaboration with its local radio station partners, and the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), committed to improving the visibility of aspiring women in the district-level elections under the project “Improving Women’s Voices and Participation in public discourse in Ghana”. The project with funding support from IBIS-Ghana, among others, used local radio stations to increase the visibility of women aspirants ahead of the elections and enhance their chances of being elected.

About 60 women aspirants from selected districts in the three regions of the North participated in training workshops and gained enhanced capacity and skills to effectively engage the media as part of their campaigning ahead of the elections. Local radio stations in the selected districts were also financially supported to produce specific weekly programmes (personality profiles, interviews, documentaries, features and in-studio discussions) that featured the women aspirants to boost their visibility ahead of the elections.

Subsequently, 25 of the women who had demonstrated commitment to the electoral process regardless of the postponement of the elections from March to September 2015 received enhanced capacity to craft winnable campaign messages and communicate their best-selling points effectively. Close to the September elections, the MFWA and its local radio station partners intensified the advocacy for more women to be elected. Some of those who won called to share their successes with the MFWA:

“I really think the electorate voted on merit,” Rosina Zenabu Abdul-Rahaman who won the Jegung electoral area in northern region against the third time incumbent. “My campaign message was that I will be their messenger and wherever they send me I will go. One key factor that contributed to my success was my participation in the training on effective media engagement skills…I also participated regularly in the radio programmes and they helped me a lot; during my community entries I was able to deliver my messages with ease.”

Mercy B. Nyame who also won the Stadium residential electoral area in the Sisala East district of the Upper West region told the MFWA “I really wanted to call the MFWA to share the good news because I think the training and the radio programmes contributed to a lot to my victory. I am very happy”.

The MFWA and partners indeed share in the joy of these women. “This result proves an assumption the project had that given all contributory factors, increased media visibility is key to enhancing the chances of women being elected in the local-level election” said Abigail Larbi-Odei – MFWA Programme Officer for Media, Democracy and Development.

While we congratulate those who won, the MFWA also salutes all the others for exercising their right to electoral participation. Democracy requires that citizens are not only heard but actively participate in governance and decision making processes that directly affect their lives. Therefore in Ghana where women constitute the majority, it is important efforts are made to empower them to participate in public discourse and also occupy public spaces as a reflection of true democracy.

The “Improving Women’s Voices and Participation in Public Discourse in Ghana” project was funded by IBIS Ghana under the West Africa Human Rights and Democratisation (WAHRD) Programme.

Issued by the MFWA in Accra on September 18, 2015. 

The MFWA is a regional independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Accra. It was founded in 1997 to defend and promote the rights and freedom of the media and of expression.

Critical Situation in Burkina Faso: Radio Stations Shut Down

mesh
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Critical Situation in Burkina Faso: Radio Stations Shut Down
On September 16, 2015, alleged members of former Presidential Security Regiment (Régiment de Sécurité Présidentiel -RSP) of  Blaise Compaore took hostage the transitional President Michel Kafando, together with the Prime Minister Yakouba Isaacs Zida.
The RSP members also took hostage Minister for Housing, Rene Bagoro, and Public Sector Minister,  Augustin Loada.
The MFWA’s correspondent in Burkina Faso reported that following the hostage and reports from the media, the security guards forced radio stations to shut down.
Some members of the RSP reportedly went to the premises of Radio Omega, a private station in Ouagadougou and set fire to the motor bikes of the station’s staff before departing. Out of fear of their premises being vandalised, some radio stations, notably Radio Nationale, Savane FM and Ouaga FM, went off air. The signal of RFI was also cut. The circumstances surrounding this is however unclear.
The insurgents issued a statement in which they declared that they had dissolved the transitional institutions and deposed President Kafando. Radio stations have resumed transmission but the situation is still tense.
On September 17, the insurgents issued a statement in which they declared that they have dissolved the transitional institutions and deposed President Kafando.
The MFWA is concerned at the acts of violence and intimidation perpetrated against the media by the mutinous soldiers, and call for immediate return to normalcy in Burkina Faso. We are calling on the ECOWAS and the AU to immediately take steps to ensure that the situation in the country is resolved amicably to ensure the safety of lives and property.

Ghana Police Must Respect, Protect and Fulfil Citizens’ Right to Demonstrate

mesh
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Ghana Police Must Respect, Protect and Fulfil Citizens’ Right to Demonstrate

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is shocked at the behaviour of some members of the Ghana Police Service who brutally assaulted demonstrators on September 16, 2015.

Led by members of pressure group, Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA), the protesters, who were demonstrating to demand that the Electoral Commission of Ghana compiles a new voters’ register, were said to have used unapproved routes.

Members of the police force who were on duty to ensure law and order, chased, arrested, tear-gassed and whipped some of the demonstrators. In the process, dozens of the demonstrators sustained injuries.

While we do not support demonstrators going against agreed police directives on routes to use, the police erred by resorting to such brutal crowd control measures.

We urge the Police Administration to thoroughly investigate the matter and punish the officers who took the law into their own hands and brutalised the unarmed protesters who were exercising their civil and human rights. We are also calling on the Ghana Police Service to, as a matter of urgency, enhance the capacity of the police with regard to acceptable crowd control measures, especially as Ghana prepares for the 2016 elections.

Stan Dogbe’s Attack On Journalist: GBC, Presidency Condoning Impunity?

Vivian Affoah
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Stan Dogbe’s Attack On Journalist: GBC, Presidency Condoning Impunity?
It has been almost a month since presidential staffer, Stan Dogbe, attacked Yahyah Kwamoah, a journalist with the Ghana Broadcasting   Corporation (GBC). Mr. Dogbe seized and destroyed the voice recorder of the journalist at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.
Since the incident happened, many notable personalities, journalists and organisations have called for action to be taken against the presidential staffer as a way of demonstrating commitment to the safety of journalists and countering impunity.
The MFWA is concerned that GBC failed to report on the incident. The state broadcaster also failed to report the incident to the police despite numerous calls for such action to be taken. It rather decided to treat the matter as an internal issue.
The attitude of GBC in this matter is a betrayal of the kind of action that media organizations are supposed to take to build confidence in their journalists and to fight impunity over crimes against journalists.
On the part of the presidency, many people expect it, as the highest institution of the land, not to condone impunity over acts of human rights violations and violations of press freedom for that matter.
Since the incident happened, there has not been any evidence of a decisive action on the matter by the Presidency as one would have expected from that institution.
We call on journalists and the media community to demand that the rights of journalists be respected and acts of impunity against journalists be fought against.

MFWA, MTN HOLD ICT COACHING AND MENTORING FAIR

Vivian Affoah
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MFWA, MTN HOLD ICT COACHING AND MENTORING FAIR

The Media Foundation for West Africa MFWA in partnership with MTN Ghana will on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 host over 150 Ghanaian youth for an ICT Coaching and Mentoring Fair at the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in Accra.

The event which will be chaired by the Country Manager of Microsoft Ghana, Derek Appiah, is to inspire and equip the youth with the requisite skill-set and technical support to venture into ICT entrepreneurship.

Participants will be exposed to opportunities for take-up in the ICT industry and knowledge on how and where to get start-up capitals. Participants will also benefit from essential back-up support from experienced industry practitioners serving as mentors who will guide them to succeed as ICT entrepreneurs.

The MFWA’s ICT Coaching and Mentoring Fair seeks to inspire the youth to exploit the huge potential that ICTs offer to develop themselves; create new ICT jobs; and come up with innovative apps to solve day-to-day challenges in different sectors of the economy.

The Fair will comprise exciting sessions such as:

  • Entrepreneurship and Business Development Lectures where experienced and inspirational ICT and business development entrepreneurs will share their experiences and provide guidance setting up and sustaining ICT businesses.
  • Entrepreneurship Workshops which will provide hands-on training sessions with the experienced practitioners.
  • The Accra event will be followed by similar fairs in Wa and Takoradi under the first phase of the programme. The fairs will eventually be held in all 10 regions of the country.

The initiative, forms part of activities under the Digital Youth Empowerment Component of the MFWA’s Internet Freedom Programme being implemented across West Africa with support from the UK-based Global Partners Digital.

Guinea: Media regulatory body bans phone-in programmes

mesh
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Guinea’s media regulatory body, Haute Autorité de la Communication (HAC) has asked all public and private radio stations to stop all phone-in programmes during the period of the electioneering campaign in the run-up to the presidential election of October 11, 2015.

In a release issued on September 7, 2015, the HAC also banned private radio stations in the country from announcing the results of the election before Guinea’s Independent National Electoral Commission (Commission électorale Nationale Indépendante-CENI)

The MFWA’s correspondent in Guinea reported that sections of the Guinean media have condemned the directive. At their extraordinary session held on September 10, founders of radio stations who are members of the Guinean Union of Free Radio and Television Stations (Union des radios et télévisions libres de Guinée – l’Urtelgui) rejected the directive, describing it as “illegal and restrictive.”

“We disregard this order which has no basis.” Sanou Kerfalla Cissé, the President of Urtelgui has said. “I am only requesting journalists to strictly comply with the ethical rules in the discharge of their duties.”

The MFWA is concerned at this trend, as this is the second time this year that a regulatory body in West Africa has banned phone-in segments in radio and television programmes. In May 2015, the media regulatory body in Burkina Faso, Conseil Supérieur de la Communication (CSC), suspended live phone-in segments on radio and television stations for three months claiming that it had observed “numerous blunders” in such live interactive segments. The CSC also cited what they called the need to “ensure a peaceful climate to promote social cohesion.”

Ghana: Journalist Killed

Vivian Affoah
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Ghana: Journalist Killed

On September 10, 2015, unknown assailants shot and killed George Abanga, a regional  correspondent of Peace FM, one of Ghana’s biggest radio stations.

The journalist who also works with Success FM in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana was reportedly shot on his motorbike while returning from covering a dispute between some farmers in Sankore in the Brong Ahafo region.

While there is no evidence to suggest the journalist was killed as a result of his work, many believe his murder was in connection with his work. News reports allege that Abanga had in recent times reported on defections from the ruling National Democratic Congress.

Others believe his murder was as a result of his reports on alleged theft of fertilizers belonging to cocoa farmers in the region.

The Brong Ahafo Regional Crime Officer, Superintendent Alhaji Maama Arhin who spoke to state-owned Daily Graphic indicated that the motorbike which Abanga was riding at the time of his attack was left at the scene, “while the wallet in his pocket containing money, mobile phones and pendrives were all intact.”

“We cannot suspect robbery at the moment. Also, he is not around to tell us what happened; that is why we are treating this as murder,” Superintendent Arhin told Daily Graphic.

Even though the MFWA cannot independently verify that Abanga’s death is connected to his work, we are saddened by this development and call on the Ghana Police to investigate the matter and ensure justice for the journalist.

Gambia: Authorities revoke permission for Al Jazeera staff, threaten them with arrests

Vivian Affoah
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A team of Al Jazeera journalists that went to Banjul to film and report on human-interest stories were prevented from carrying out their assignment and threatened with arrest.

According to MFWA’s sources and news reports, the Gambia’s Ministry of Information, who had earlier given permit, told the team on arrival in the country that they could not film “pending further authorisation from Gambian president Yahya Jammeh, who at the time was on vacation at his birth village of Kanilai.”

The team comprising, Catherine Wambuo-Soi (correspondent), Evelyn Kahungu-Kihara (producer) and Simon Munene (cameraman) were also threatened with arrests if they failed to heed the directive.
Sources say Wambuo-Soi was going to interview President Jammeh on his HIV treatment programme, migration of Gambian youths and other human interest issues.
“We got approval from the Government to travel to Banjul to do some human interest stories, but unfortunately a day after our arrival, we were told by our fixer that the government through the ministry of information have asked us not to film anything or else risk being arrested,” Wambuo-Soi is reported to have said.
“We were not arrested or deported.” The team said “We were treated well and welcomed but unfortunately, we were told not to film anything for reasons best known to them.”
The team consequently left The Gambia on August 30 and are said to be in Nairobi, Kenya.
MFWA is appalled at the conduct of The Gambia’s Ministry of Information in this matter. This incident is another example of The Gambian government’s persistent disrespect for the media and freedom of expression.
This second time this year that Al Jazeera journalists have encountered challenges in discharging their duties in the region even after they have been granted permission. In March 2015, two Nigerian Al Jazeera journalists who had gone to cover a military operation against Boko Haram during the lead up to Nigeria’s election, were detained by members of the Nigerian military. Even though Ahmed Idris and Ali Mustafa filmed with the cooperation of the military and were accredited by the Independent Electoral Commission to report from anywhere in Nigeria during the entire electioneering period, they were detained for 12 days before being released.Anchor

The Gambia must drop vague criminal charges against journalist

Vivian Affoah
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The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is extremely concerned about the on-going detention of journalist Alhagie Abdoulie Ceesay in The Gambia.
Ceesay was first arrested on July 2, 2015, released on July 13, then rearrested on July 17, for sharing a picture of Gambian President Yahya Jammeh with two people. He has since been in custody. His lawyer also said Ceesay was tortured in police custody.
Days after Ceesay was arrested, he was charged with one count of sedition when he appeared before the Banjul Magistrate court. But when the prosecution later opened another case at a Banjul high court, he was charged with seven counts. According to the particulars of the offence in count one, the charges said that Ceesay, on or about  July 17, 2015, “with intent to excite disaffection against the Gambian president, acted with the same seditious intention by publishing and distributing pictures of a gun and five bullets, pointing towards  the image of the president and thereby committed an offence.”
In count two, Ceesay is accused of publishing and distributing the said photo with a phrase: “The sniper hereby advises all citizens and non-citizens to stay at their homes on Wednesday the 22nd of July 2015. As our struggle to kick [off] the dog, begins that very day. We are capable of doing anything and it might start from the celebration ground. Please be at your homes for your safety. Signed by the sniper 3, secretary to the group.”
The same statement is repeated under the statement of offence in the other counts, as contrary to sections 52 (A and C) respectively and 59 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 10:01, Vol 111 Revised Laws of The Gambia, 2009. Count seven mentions that Ceesay intended to cause fear and alarm, by distributing such statement and photo, knowing that the statement is false.
Following the commencement of the case at the high court on August 18, Ceesay’s lawyer requested bail and the withdrawal of the case from the magistrate court. This was, however, denied by the presiding magistrate.
So far, Ceesay has been denied bail twice by both the magistrate and high court. Most recently, on August 26, 2015, Ceesay again appeared before the high court where he pleaded “not guilty” to charges of sedition and publication of false news levelled against him. The trial judge, Simeon Abu, denied him bail.
The MFWA is deeply concerned about the “untouchability” of President Jammeh. In fact, his reign of impunity is so strong that individuals who even mention his name in jest, like Ceesay, are arrested and prosecuted. The MFWA recalls the case of Mass Kah, an employee of Foroyaa newspaper who asked a friend to paste the picture of President Jammeh in the sky, for which he was arrested and detained for two weeks before being charged.
Throughout the region, criminal defamation and sedition laws—particularly vaguely worded and overly broad “fear and alarm” ones—have a chilling effect on speech and are often used to clampdown on dissent. Although the right to freedom of expression is limited under international law, criminal speech laws like The Gambia’s fall outside the scope of legitimate restrictions of speech. As Africa moves forward in decriminalisation efforts in light of the African Court’s Konaté decision, the MFWA urges Gambian to drop the charges against Cessay and release him and also take steps to repeal or amend criminal speech laws.
The MFWA also calls on ECOWAS to implement sanctions against The Gambia if it continues to violate its specific obligation under the ECOWAS Revised Treaty to respect the rights of journalists.
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