Friday, 12th August, 2022

Page 4
DAILY ANALYST Friday, 12th August, 2022
You can’t take the law
into your own hands
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has advised
the Ada Traditional Council not to take the law into
their own hands by imposing restrictions on Radio
Ada and its reporters from covering important events.
It has also cautioned Radio Ada and its staff to
refrain from using insulting or unacceptable language in the
discharge of their duties.
The GJA gave caution following the ban on the station and
its reporters from covering the Asafotufiami, the festival of the
Chiefs and People of the Ada Traditional Area by the Ada Traditional
Council.
Since its establishment 24 years ago, Radio Ada has covered
Asafotufiami every year, but this year, for the first time in its
history, it was denied its status at the celebration of Asafotufiami.
Prior to this year’s Asafotufiami, the Ada Traditional
Council in a letter stated that Radio Ada will not be allowed to
mount a stage at Ada Asafotufiami Park.
Also, Neneme will not grant interviews to journalists from
Radio Ada.
It also stated that Noah Dameh, Serwah Warri, and Amanor
Dzeagu who happen to be hosts of programmes with unrefined
language towards Neneme were not to be seen at the park in
Radio Ada paraphernalia.
According to Ada Traditional Council, the aforementioned
used “insulting” and “disrespectful” language while addressing
the leasing of the Songhor Lagoon to an investor for the mining
of salt.
They also 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.
Addressing the issue at a press conference in Accra yesterday,
August 11, 2022, the GJA President, Mr Albert Kwabena
Dwumfour encouraged both the Ada Traditional Council and
the management of Radio Ada to find amicable ways of resolving
their differences.
"The GJA calls on the Ada Traditional Council not to take
the law into their own hands and that it should endeavor to
use the due process of law to address its concerns. The Council
must also refrain from actions that have the tendency to
endanger the lives of the radio station and its staff. We also
advise Radio Ada and its staff to refrain from using insulting
or unacceptable language in the discharge of their duties. They
should endeavor to exhibit high professional standards at all
times. We, however, encourage them to continue to discharge
their 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. They must continue
to play the watchdog role of the media in the interest of the
people," he said.
Mr. Dwumfour continued, "We wish to 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."
Meanwhile, he said the matter has been discussed with the
leadership of the Ghana Police Service and they have assured to
provide full protection to the staff of Radio Ada.
"We have discussed the case of Ada Radio with the leadership
of the Ghana Police Service who have assured us of full
protection for the staff of Radio Ada to enable them to go about
their normal duties. 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," he added.
The President of the
Ghana Journalists Association
(GJA), Mr. Albert
Kwabena Dwumfour,
has stated that the imposition
of restrictions on Radio
Ada and its reporters by the Ada
Traditional Council is unjustifiable
and an affront to press
freedom.
His statement comes following
the ban of the station and
its reporters from covering the
Asafotufiami, the festival of the
Chiefs and People of the Ada
Traditional Area which was held
recently.
Since its establishment 24
years ago, Radio Ada has covered
Asafotufiami every year, it is always
accorded a prominent place
and space to mount its outside
broadcast equipment at the festival
grounds.
But this year, for the first time
in its history, Radio Ada was denied
its status at the celebration
of Asafotufiami.
According to the GJA President,
the blacklisting of the radio
station started with the Ada Traditional
Council failing to invite
Radio Ada for the coverage of the
official launch of the festival at
Treasure Island, Ada, on June 30,
2022.
He said on July 14, 2022, the
management of the radio station
wrote to the ‘Ada Asafotufiami
Planning Committee 2022’ to
draw its attention to what it
believed to be the “inadvertent
omission to the regular protocol
of the planning committee".
He continued that the management
followed up on its letter
with a delegation to meet the Ada
Traditional Council on August
1, 2022, to further discuss the
matter.
According to officials of the
radio station, the outcome of the
meeting with the Ada Traditional
Council was positive.
However, the Ada Traditional
Council followed up with a letter
to the radio station dated August
1, 2022, delivering the Council’s
decision to place restrictions on
Radio Ada as follows: That, the
Radio Ada will not be allowed to
mount a stage at Ada Asafotufiami
Park, that Neneme will not
grant interviews to journalists
from Radio Ada and also that,
Noah Dameh, Serwah Warri and
Amanor Dzeagu who happen to
be hosts of programmes with
unrefined language towards Neneme
are not to be seen at the park
in Radio Ada paraphernalia.
A
29-year-old woman at
Oforikurom, a town
near Samreboi in the
Wassa Amenfi West
Municipality has
dipped her 3-year-old daughter
in hot water, burning the lower
parts of her body.
Residents in the area indicated
that the whole issue was a
result of the girl misplacing eight
Cedi (GHC8) sandals the woman
bought for her.
Also, the woman was told that
her daughter was being sexually
abused(fingered) by some guys in
the vicinity and so out of anger,
GJA's take
Speaking at a Press conference
in Accra to address the issue,
Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour
said upon hearing the news, he
directed the General Secretary
and the National Organising
Secretary to go to Ada to gather
firsthand information on the
matter to better inform the GJA's
intervention.
He said the GJA delegation
interacted with staff of Radio
Ada and persons close to the Ada
Traditional Council and therefore
had a good appreciation of
the issues at stake to inform its
address.
He said in its 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.
He stated that 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.
Based on the above, Mr.
Dwumfour 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 the
imposition of restrictions on the
radio station and its reporters
is unjustifiable. 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
Girl, 3, suffers severe burns
the woman boiled water and put
the toddler inside.
The issue was sent to the
Samreboi Police Station and
according to reports, the 29-yearold
woman was granted bail after
she was arrested.
Initially, the young girl was
taken to the Samartex Hospital
and they referred her to the
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital,
but with the bills anticipated,
the girl hasn’t been taken to the
hospital.
Meanwhile, the 3-year-old girl
is unable to walk as the effect of
the hot water was severe on her.
Universal Declaration on Human
Rights."
With all due respect, Mr.
Dwumfour stated that the Ada
Traditional Council does not have
the right or powers to impose
such restrictions on Radio Ada
and its staff.
"We also 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, 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 such 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," he added.
Meanwhile, he said the Ada
Traditional Council had filed a
complaint at the National Media
Commission (NMC) against Radio
Ada for professional misconduct
and commended them for taking
such steps because that is one of
the appropriate forums to seek
redress on such matters.
However, Mr Dwumfour said
the Ada Traditional 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.