Reported by, Nsor Paul mensah.
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) President, Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour has pleaded with the Ada Traditional Council not to take the law into their own hands but, endeavor to use the due process of law to address its concerns.
The president further entreated the Traditional Council to also refrain from actions that have the tendency to endanger the lives of radio station and its staff.
Mr. Dwumfour made this statement at a press conference organized by the Association in connection with the Ada Traditional Council’s decision to ban Radio Ada from covering this year’s Asafotufiami festival of the chiefs and people of the Ada Traditional Area.
The GJA President in his Inaugural Address, on June 30, 2022, underlined the commitment of Administration to defend press freedom at all time and indicated his intention to establish a fund called the ‘Journalists Support Fund’ to address press freedom and welfare matters.
Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, encourage both the Ada Traditional Council and the management of Radio Ada to find amicable ways of resolving their differences.
“We urge them to consider each other as partners in development and work together to promote development in the area. The GJA is interested in seeing peace restored between the Ada Traditional Council and Radio Ada”.
He also advised Radio Ada and its staff to refrain from using insulting or unacceptable language in the discharge of their duties and endeavor to exhibit high professional standards at all times.
“We, however, encourage you to continue to discharge your constitutional mandate as provided in Article 162(5) of the 1992 Constitution to hold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people of Ghana. You must continue to play the watchdog role of the media in the interest of the people”.
The GJA President revealed that, in their fact-finding mission, persons close to the Ada Traditional Council expressed deep concern about the use of “insulting” and “disrespectful” language by programme hosts of Radio Ada against Neneme.
“They cited the regular practice of the reporters mentioning the names of Neneme without according them their titles and also inciting the people to hoot at Neneme and call them names during a demonstration”.
He said, whilst appreciating the concerns of Neneme as indicated above, especially what they described as “unrefined language” used to address them by programme hosts of the radio station, the GJA believes that the imposition of restrictions on the radio station and its reporters is unjustifiable.
“In fact, it is an affront to press freedom as guaranteed in Article 21(1)(a) and (f) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights”.
He noted that, the Ada Traditional Council does not have the right or powers to impose such restrictions on Radio Ada and its staff and that, GJA consider the barring of the three reporters of Radio Ada from wearing the paraphernalia of the radio station and particularly the mention of their names, as a threat to their lives and that of their family.
“We should be mindful of how such public disclosure of names of journalists had led to the killing of such journalists and we should refrain from msuch actions. We believe one major significance of festivals is to use the occasion to foster peace, unity and oneness of purpose among the people to promote the development of the community. We also recognize the concept of community radio as being the rallying force for the promotion of the culture and socio-economic development of the host communities.
The Ada Traditional Council according to the GJA President, violated the rules on complaint settlement of the NMC per the imposition of restrictions on the radio station and its reporter, quoting Section 13(2) of the National Media Commission Act, 1993 (Act 449) provides that, “A person who has lodged a complaint with the Commission shall, unless he withdraws the complaint, exhaust all avenues available for settling the issue by the Commission before a recourse to the courts.
“Since the complaint by the Ada Traditional Council is still pending, and has not been withdrawn, the Council violated the NMC rules of engagement for complaint settlement by constituting itself into a traditional court to punish the radio station and its staff.
The GJA President assured that, the Association has already discussed the case of Radio Ada with the leadership of the Ghana Police Service who have assured them of full protection for the staff of Radio Ada to enable them go about their normal dutie.
“We believe calm will soon return to Ada so that development will also find space in the land through the vent provided by the media”.