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MFWA commends Akufo-Addo for using NMC for media dispute resolution

Vivian Affoah
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MFWA commends Akufo-Addo for using NMC for media dispute resolution

The MFWA commends the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for resorting to the National Media Commission (NMC), rather than the law courts, for seeking redress to what he deemed defamatory publications against him by five pro-government newspapers.

A statement signed by NMC Chairman Kabral Blay- Amihere on February 6, 2015 said that on June 16, 2014, Akufo-Addo filed a complaint at the Commission against the five newspapers namely, Daily Post, Ghanaian Lens, The Enquirer, The Informer and the Al-Hajj for publications that he described as “offensive and derogatory”. The said articles were published between June 8-14, 2014.

Akufo-Addo complained to the NMC that the “substance of the stories complained of, are in all essentials utterly false, a product of the imagination of the publishers of the newspapers” and requested that the “severest sanctions to be visited on the newspapers in question in accordance of Act 449” which sets up the NMC.

Following its investigations, the NMC concluded that the said publications were inappropriate and consequently directed the five newspapers to retract their articles and apologise to Akufo-Addo for the said publications.

The NMC statement said officials of the five newspapers failed to honour invitations to appear before the NMC to settle the matter. The MFWA finds such disregard for the Commission by the media very unfortunate and urges the media to accord the Commission the respect and full co-operation especially on matters of complaints by individuals so as to prevent aggrieved persons from resorting to the courts.

Just recently a Fast Track High Court in Accra ordered General Portfolio Limited,   publishers of The Chronicle, a privately-owned newspaper; its acting editor, Emmanuel Akli; and the paper’s business editor, Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, to pay Gh¢200,000 for publishing articles deemed offensive towards one Isaac Dzihlornu, an Immigration Officer.

Similarly, last year, the Daily Guide and The Informer newspapers were slapped with Gh¢250,000 and Gh¢300,000 fines, respectively, for publishing articles deemed libellous against General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress and a timber company, Evans Timbers.  Considering the Ghanaian media landscape, such heavy fines are punitive and have the potential of crippling the media.

The MFWA appeals to individuals and the public to continue to resort to the NMC’s dispute resolution mechanism for seeking redress to media violations and thus, commends all those who have over the period, resorted to the NMC for resolving media-related disputes.

MFWA Calls for Safer Internet in West Africa

Vivian Affoah
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MFWA Calls for Safer Internet in West Africa

On the occasion of this year’s Safer Internet Day, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is calling on all stakeholders in West Africa to ensure the safer use of the internet for the betterment of society.

Even though the internet has come with innumerable economic, political, cultural and social benefits, the threats it presents to international peace, and the safety and security of individuals, nations, businesses and activists cannot be ignored.

It is, therefore, imperative for all stakeholder – government, technical community, businesses, civil society and end-users – to play their respective roles to ensure that the internet is safe for all including vulnerable groups such as children. As the theme for this year’s celebrations suggests – Let’s Create A Better Internet Together!

The MFWA therefore calls on the respective national Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERT) in the region to proactively work to combat cybercrimes and fraud to create a safe cyber environment for business, academic, political and social interactions to thrive on the internet.

“We also encourage the various CERTs in the region to heighten public awareness about their activities and empower citizens against internet security risks such as email hacking, identity theft and online fraud,” a Programme Officer of the MFWA, Dora B. Mawutor said.

Governments are also encouraged to integrate online safety issues in the curricula of the various basic schools (where they are currently absent) to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in the online world. As already being implemented in some African countries such as Uganda, child online safety toolkits can be developed for the various formal and informal educational setups.

Parents, guardians and teachers must sensitise their children about online safety and possible consequences of inappropriate use of the internet.

The media and civil society organisations must also step-up advocacy and awareness creation activities about online safety.

“It is inexcusable for any West African to be oblivious of the security implications associated with this digital and technological era. The media must therefore live up to their foremost duty of enlightening the public,” Programme Officer of the MFWA, Dora B. Mawutor said.

Safer Internet Day is celebrated every year on the second day of the second week of the second month. For 2015, the Day is being marked today, February 10, 2014.

MFWA Urges States and the Media to Raise Awareness about FGM

Vivian Affoah
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0
MFWA Urges States and the Media to Raise Awareness about FGM

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) joins the UN and members of civil society in calling for an end to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) to commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, which takes place every February 6.

The MFWA specifically urges the media to raise awareness and educate West Africans about the physical and psychological health complications experienced by women and girls following FGM/C to help prevent its future occurrence.

“Both the media and civil society can make invaluable contributions to raise awareness about FGM/C and the negative consequences of such procedures,” said Anjali Manivannan, the MFWA Programme Officer for Free Expression Rights Monitoring and Campaigns. “Accordingly, states must respect and protect the right to freedom of expression of health workers, media actors, and activists—who have been targeted in the past for their work—campaigning around this issue as part of international efforts to eliminate FGM/C.”

FGM/C is prevalent to varying degrees across all of West Africa, except Cape Verde, despite the widespread existence of national laws banning it. In West Africa, women and girls most commonly cite social acceptance as a reason for undergoing FGM/C. The media can play significant role in changing social norms by highlighting the wide-ranging health problems caused by FGM/C in order to ultimately help end the practice.

“Change can happen through sustained media attention on the damaging public health consequences of FGM, as well as on the abuse of the rights of hundreds of thousands of women and girls around the world,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the launch of one campaign highlighting the media’s role in helping to end FGM/C in Kenya.

The MFWA thus urges States to develop, support, and implement educational programmes to raise awareness about FGM/C, as called for by a recently adopted UN General Assembly draft resolution. The MFWA also calls upon States to create an enabling environment for the media and civil society to express their views on FGM/C-related issues and to responsibly utilise the media to highlight the seriousness of this issue in West Africa.

Country (West Africa) % of females aged 15–49 years

who have undergone FGM/C

 National decree/legislation banning FGM/C
Guinea 97 Passed in 1965 (amended in 2000)
Sierra Leone 90 No
Mali 89 No
Burkina Faso 76 Passed in 1996
The Gambia 76 No
Mauritania 69 Passed in 2005
Liberia 66 No
Guinea Bissau 50 Passed in 2011
Côte d’Ivoire 38 Passed in 1998
Senegal 26 Passed in 1999
Nigeria 25 Passed in 1999–2006 in some states
Benin 7 Passed in 2003
Ghana 4 Passed in 1994 (amended 2007)
Togo 4 Passed in 1998
Niger 2 Passed in 2003
Cape Verde FGM/C is not concentrated No

Source: UNICEF, February 2015.

Photo Credit :

International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation Statement: MFWA Urges States and the Media to Raise Awareness about FGM

Vivian Affoah
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0

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) joins the UN and members of civil society in calling for an end to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) to commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, which takes place every February 6.

The MFWA specifically urges the media to raise awareness and educate West Africans about the physical and psychological health complications experienced by women and girls following FGM/C to help prevent its future occurrence.

“Both the media and civil society can make invaluable contributions to raise awareness about FGM/C and the negative consequences of such procedures,” said Anjali Manivannan, the MFWA Programme Officer for Free Expression Rights Monitoring and Campaigns. “Accordingly, states must respect and protect the right to freedom of expression of health workers, media actors, and activists—who have been targeted in the past for their work—campaigning around this issue as part of international efforts to eliminate FGM/C.”

FGM/C is prevalent to varying degrees across all of West Africa, except Cape Verde, despite the widespread existence of national laws banning it. In West Africa, women and girls most commonly cite social acceptance as a reason for undergoing FGM/C. The media can play significant role in changing social norms by highlighting the wide-ranging health problems caused by FGM/C in order to ultimately help end the practice.

“Change can happen through sustained media attention on the damaging public health consequences of FGM, as well as on the abuse of the rights of hundreds of thousands of women and girls around the world,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the launch of one campaign highlighting the media’s role in helping to end FGM/C in Kenya.

The MFWA thus urges States to develop, support, and implement educational programmes to raise awareness about FGM/C, as called for by a recently adopted UN General Assembly draft resolution. The MFWA also calls upon States to create an enabling environment for the media and civil society to express their views on FGM/C-related issues and to responsibly utilise the media to highlight the seriousness of this issue in West Africa.

Country (West Africa) % of females aged 15–49 years

who have undergone FGM/C

 National decree/legislation banning FGM/C
Guinea 97 Passed in 1965 (amended in 2000)
Sierra Leone 90 No
Mali 89 No
Burkina Faso 76 Passed in 1996
The Gambia 76 No
Mauritania 69 Passed in 2005
Liberia 66 No
Guinea Bissau 50 Passed in 2011
Côte d’Ivoire 38 Passed in 1998
Senegal 26 Passed in 1999
Nigeria 25 Passed in 1999–2006 in some states
Benin 7 Passed in 2003
Ghana 4 Passed in 1994 (amended 2007)
Togo 4 Passed in 1998
Niger 2 Passed in 2003
Cape Verde FGM/C is not concentrated No

Source: UNICEF, February 2015.

 

Issued by the MFWA in Accra on February 6, 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

Ghana Alert: Constant harassment by palace officials compel journalists to threaten media blackout

Vivian Affoah
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0

A section of journalists based in Kumasi, in Ghana’s Ashanti Region, is threatening a media blackout following constant attacks and harassment by linguists and sub-chiefs at the seat of the Ashanti King, Manhyia Palace.

The MFWA’s correspondent reported that the journalists announced their decision to boycott an event at the palace after the harassment of a journalist who was covering the 80th anniversary of the Ashanti Confederacy on January 31, 2015.

The journalists stated that they would only rescind their decision if the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II meets with them regarding their concerns.

Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer at the Palace, Kwame Aboagye, apologised to journalists and blamed the harassment on stool attendants who, according to him, did not know the journalists.

This is not the first time journalists in the region have complained of being harassed while working. On December 26, 2014, under the auspices of Manhyia Palace, the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) organised the 1st Asanteman Ball and Awards Night to raise funds to build a music complex in Kumasi in honour of an ace musician Agya Koo Nimo and to also contribute to the Aged Musicians Welfare Fund.

The correspondents’ sources said at the start of the event, an announcement was made that no pictures should be taken of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II when he is dancing.

In the course of the programme, an invited official from a radio station brought out a tablet to take a picture of a musician performing. An unidentified military man in the security detail of the King walked to the radio station official and confiscated his tablet. Other dignitaries had to intervene before the military man returned the tablet to the radio station official.

At that same event, Frank Mensah “Pozo” (a physically challenged musician) had his iPhone confiscated when he took pictures during the event. Other guests also complained about similar treatment at the hands of the King’s security detail.

“At the end of the programme, all the cameras of the invited pressmen were confiscated and shots and videos of the King dancing deleted before the cameras were returned,” said one source. “When the protocol officers were informed, they only apologised and said it was not part of their briefings to the security detail.”

“Nothing was heard of any redress or avenue for formal complaints,” another source added. “The matter died with the departure of the palace entourage.”

The MFWA is concerned about this development and urges the Public Relations department and other officers in charge at the palace to sensitise palace aides and security details to understand the importance of the media’s work in democracy, development and peace-building.

Côte d’Ivoire Alert: Regulatory body fines newspaper and suspends journalist

Vivian Affoah
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The board of advisors of the press regulatory body in Côte d’Ivoire, Conseil National de la Presse (CNP), has imposed a fine of one million West African CFA francs (about US$1,700) on La Refondation SA, the publisher of the daily newspaper Notre Voie.

The CNP also suspended journalist Didier Dépry, a journalist at Notre Voie, for one month for “violating the rule of balance in reportage.”

A CNP communiqué published on January 26 said Notre Voie published an article, titled “Uneasiness in the Army/Soumaila Bakayoko goes away” on the front page of its January 5 edition.

The article, authored by Dépry, alleged that there is uneasiness in the army following the retirement of Soumaila Bakayoko, chief of defence staff of the Republican Forces of Côte d’Ivoire, in December 2014.

The CNP communiqué said the journalist “violated the rule of balance of information by publishing articles of an extremely serious nature likely to compromise the serenity of the army and damage the security of the country and the peace of the people.”

The CNP also noted that, as a result of the publication, the officer tipped to occupy Bakayoko’s former position, Touré Sékou, has shown reservations about taking up the position, which is why the post remains vacant.

Meanwhile, political and military authorities have not made any official announcements about this vacancy.

More than two weeks after the publication of this article, neither the editorial team of Notre Voie nor Dépry has corrected the information, as required by Article 16 of the Code of Professional Conduct which recommends that journalists have a “duty to be responsible towards users, by correcting any information which turns out to be false (…).”

According to the communiqué, La Refondation SA and journalist Dépry each have 30 days—starting from when they were informed about the decision—to seek recourse from the competent administrative court.

The MFWA expresses its concern about this incident and also urges the Ivorian media to be professional and mindful of their code of ethics.

The Gambia Alert: Unidentified men break into newspaper office

Vivian Affoah
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0

On January 26, 2015, unidentified men broke into the offices of The Mirror, a privately-owned weekly newspaper.

According to Seedy Bojang, publisher/editor of The Mirror, who spoke to MFWA’s source, the men went to the office and used heavy metal to break the office main door.

The men left the premises after several unsuccessful attempts to unlock the computers in the newsroom, which were password protected; they did not take any equipment.

Bojang told MFWA’s source that he will report the matter to Brusubi Police Station for investigation and protection.

The Mirror was registered with the Attorney General’s Chambers in May 2012 and started operating in May 2013.

The MFWA urges the police to investigate this incident and put an end to impunity in The Gambia. Journalists, human rights defenders, and others exercising their right to freedom of expression have been routinely silenced and abused during President Yahya Jammeh’s 20-yearlong rule. The MFWA recently conferred the title of “West Africa’s King of Impunity” upon President Jammeh to raise awareness about the human rights violations and impunity that continue to occur in The Gambia.

Niger Alert: Three opposition leaders and one Facebook activist detained

Vivian Affoah
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0

Three Nigerien opposition leaders—Soumana Sanda, Youba Diallo and Ousseini Salatou—and social media activist Ibrahim Bana are being held in police CID custody.

The MFWA’s correspondent in Niger reported that these four people have been in custody since January 25, 2015.

In an interview on the private radio station Anfani, their counsel, Boubacar Amadou, said that their arrest followed the execution of letters rogatory by the chief examining magistrate regarding the January 16–17, 2015 demonstrations. As of now, it is unclear which charges are being brought against the four persons.

The demonstrations took place in Zinder (east of the capital, Niamey) and in Niamey, and they led to at least ten deaths, several injuries, and extensive property damage. They followed the publications of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in the French satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo. Depictions of the Prophet Mohammed are considered to be heresy by many Muslims.

Benin Alert: Three journalists banned from presenting news

Vivian Affoah
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0
Benin Alert: Three journalists banned from presenting news

Three journalists at Benin’s state broadcaster, Office de Radiodiffusion et Television du Benin (ORTB), have been banned from presenting on the television station’s 8pm broadcast.

Ozias Sounouvou, Prévert Noutèhou and Renaud Acakpo told MFWA’s correspondent in Benin that there was an “order from above that their names should be removed from the list of news presenters for the 20 hours news broadcast”. The order was posted in the editorial room February 1, 2015.

The ban of the three journalists follows a statement made by  Ozias Sounouvou, during the 11:30pm edition on January 12.

While presenting the news, Sounouvou called out the President of Benin, Yayi Boni, for participating in a press freedom march in Paris following the Charlie Hebdo attacks while in his own country, people cannot exercise the right to freedom of expression.

Sounouvou challenged President to be “Charlie-ORTB” by allowing the state broadcaster to air “real debates on the major political issues and other matters dealing with the current and future state of the nation.”

After this broadcast, he began receiving threatening phone-calls.

The three journalists have reported that “freedom of expression is under threat at the ORTB” and have appealed to associations of media professionals and journalists to ensure that media monolithism does not prevail in the state television network.

The MFWA is concerned about ORTB’s decision to ban these journalists for demanding that President Boni respect freedom of expression, a human right. The MFWA urges management to ensure that journalists are not censored for criticising public figures.

The Gambia Alert: Journalists harassed for covering demonstration

Vivian Affoah
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0
The Gambia Alert: Journalists harassed for covering demonstration

On January 25, 2015, Saikou Jammeh, a journalist with the privately-owned The Standard Newspaper, was interrogated multiple times by National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and military officers.

Jammeh went to the July 22 Square in Banjul to cover the pro-President Jammeh march following the attempted coup on December 30, 2014.

Although he told them he was a journalist, the officers did not allow Jammeh to take photos even though journalists from state-owned television were able to do so.

“Yes, I was frustrated. I also faced a number of interrogations by the NIA operatives as well as military officers,” Jammeh told the MFWA’s source. “This was to the extent that I could not properly do my work.”

Jammeh was not the only person who was harassed by security forces at the event. Annelies D’Hulster, a Belgian writer who came to The Gambia to research illegal migration, was cornered by security personnel and forced to show them her SMS messages.

D’Hulster reportedly left the country and went to neighbouring Senegal. However, it is unclear if this was a result of the interrogations and phone search.

This is the second reported instance of journalist harassment in The Gambia by agents of the state this month; the first occurred on January 19. Due to ongoing impunity for human rights violations under President Yahya Jammeh’s 20-yearlong rule, the MFWA crowned him ‘West Africa’s King of Impunity’, a title that continues to ring true.

Niger Alert: Journalists fined for libel

Vivian Affoah
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0

On January 21, 2015, the Niamey Magistrate’s Court ordered Souleymane Salha and Issoufou Oumarou Alzouma, staff of Le Courrier, an independent weekly newspaper, to pay damages of 10.5 million CFA francs (about US$18,500) to Ali Mariama El Ibrahim, the Minister of Basic Education, Literacy and the Promotion of Indigenous Languages.

The MFWA’s correspondent in Niger reported that the lawsuit was a result of a Le Courrier publication on August 7, 2014. The article, titled “The Grand Scam”, accused the minister of diverting a contract for the supply of school books valuing more than 500 million CFA francs (about US$ 881,484)

According to the correspondent, as a result of the publication, the minister was summoned by the country’s legislative body, Assemblée Nationale, on November 5, 2014 to respond to a motion tabled by Mossi Boubacar, a Member of Parliament of the opposition Lumana party.

She subsequently filed a libel suit against Salha, the Managing Editor of the newspaper, and Alzouma, a reporter. The journalists were found guilty of libel and were mandated by the court to jointly pay 10.5 million West African CFA Francs.

Salha told the MFWA correspondent that they will appeal the verdict.

In November 2011, the president of Niger, Issoufou Mahamadou, became the first head of state to endorse the Table de Montagne Declaration, which calls for the repeal of criminal defamation and ‘insult’ laws across Africa. However, journalists continue to face arrests, which they often do not report for fear of victimization.

Fines such as this one are huge and tend to force the media into self-censorship, which has a chilling effect on freedom of expression. The MFWA urges Nigeriens to consider means of redress such as l’Observatoire Indépendant des Médias pour l’Ethique et la Déontologie (ONIMED), which is a peer court that resolves media-related offences. The MFWA also calls on President Mahamadou, who prioritized press freedom in 2011, to end the harassment of journalists by state agents.

Niger Alert: Police brutalities against media organisations

Vivian Affoah
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0

Several media organisations in Niger have  experienced abuses by the police over the past week.

MFWA’s correspondent in Niger reported that a contingent of the investigative police attacked the Ténéré media group on January 17, 2015. The police entered the premises of the media house without a permit or prior notice and asked Ténéré to suspend transmission. They intimidated and physically attacked journalists. The policemen eventually closed down the radio station for about 15 minutes.

On the same day, two journalists from another media group, Dounias, fainted after inhaling tear gas fired by policemen to disperse street demonstrations against the cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed that appeared in the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. At the same time, policemen also physically assaulted a team of reporters from Ténéré and another group, Labari.

On January 18, 2015, journalists working for Canal 3, Niger24, Liptako, Africable, Radio R&M and Sarraounia were all targeted with tear gas, clubs and insults by contingents from the police and National Guard.

In addition, around 11 am that same day, about ten policemen launched an attack on the Bonferey press group. The policemen hit the workers with clubs and fired tear gas resulting in injuries.

The MFWA is concerned about the numerous attacks on the media and demonstrators in Niger. We urge the police in the country to recognise the important role the media plays in democracy and development and respect their human rights to freedom of expression and to freedom of assembly. We also urge President Mahamadou Issoufou to live up to his statements in Paris following the Charlie Hebdo attacks by ensuring that policemen who attack journalists are punished.

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