Some seven Regional Chairmen of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) are up in arms against the newly sworn-in national executives, expressing their utmost revulsion at the withdrawal of some three representatives of the association at the National Media Commission (NMC) and the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC).
The regional chairpersons, described the decision, which was communicated through a press release issued by the national executives of the GJA on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 and signed by General Secretary, Kofi Yeboah, as “unilateral”, and demanded that the decision be reversed immediately.
They argued that those being withdrawn were properly appointed by the former GJA executives to serve at the NMC and PIAC at a National Council meeting, and by the laws governing the two institutions, they are supposed to remain in office until their tenures expire.
The Herald’s information is that those being withdrawn, are being replaced by persons closer to the new executives, particularly the GJA President, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour.
According to the GJA release, the veteran journalist and editor of the Daily Graphic, Vincent Kobby Asmah and Gabriel Bosompem, who is mentioned as a campaign manager to the new GJA president, are to replace Affail Monney, the immediate past GJA President and Bright Blewu, a former General Secretary of the association at the NMC.
Onetime editor of Daily Editor, Ransford Tetteh, now bearing a stool name, Nana Kwaku Dei is also to replace Osei Kwadwo Adow, as the GJA’s representative on PIAC.
But the regional heads in a memo sent to the national executive stated “we are further surprised at the blatant disregard of the functions of the National Council as provided for in article 14 (b) of the GJA constitution 2004 and the current National Executive actions of not submitting its policies and programs to the Council for approval.
“It is relevant to note that, the National Council is mandated by article 14 (b) (iv) of the GJA Constitution 2004 to supervise the administrative machinery of the Association at both National and Regional level but this check and balance provision has been blatantly disregarded”, their memo said.
The seven are; Maxwell Kudekor, Chairman for the Eastern Region (Koforidua), Larry Paa Kwasi Moses – Chairman for the Brong Ahafo Region (Sunyani), Yakubu Abdul Majeed Chairman for Northern Region (Tamale), William Nlanjerbor Jalulah – Chairman for the Upper East ( Bolga), Kingsley E. Hope Chairman for the Ashanti Region, Dzifa Emma Tetteh, Chairperson for Tema Region and David Yarboi – Tetteh – Chairman- Central Region ( Cape Coast).
“We are by this Memo, as a matter of urgency, calling on the National Executive to immediately organize a National Council meeting and present its policies and programs for the year for consideration and also discuss some major actions and issues of national interest that appear to bring the name of the Association into disrepute”.
“On the matter of the NMC and PIAC replacement, we advise the National Executive to immediately write to withdraw its press release and apologize for the error in law”.
Below are the press release by GJA National Executives and as well as the Memo from the Regional Chairpersons;
Kobby Ansah, Gabriel Bosompem to Replace Affail Monney, Bright Blewu On NMC;
Nana Kwaku Dei (Ransford Tetteh) To Replace Osei Kwadwo Adow On PIAC
ACCRA, July 26,2022 (GJA)- The National Executive of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has nominated Vincent Kobby Asmah and Gabriel Bosompem to replace Affail Monney and Bright Blewu as its representatives on the National Media Commission (NMC).
The National Executive has also nominated Nana Kwaku Dei (a.k.a. Ransford Tetteh) to replace Osei Kwadwo Adow as its representative on the Public Interest Accountability Committee (PIAC).
Both nominations take effect from Monday, August 1, 2022 and have consequential effect, including any other body that the GJA representative may serve on, flowing from their membership of the NMC and PIAC, respectively.
Mr. Asmah is the Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr. Bosompem is a former production Manager of TV3 (Media General) and Nana Kwaku Dei is a former President of the GJA and former Acting Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL).
The decision to replace the GJA representatives on the NMC was taken at a National Executive meeting held on Monday, July 25,2022, at the Ghana International Press Centre in Accra.
The decision was pursuant to Article 166(1)(b) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 5(1)(b) of Act 449 of the National Commission Act, 1993 (Act 449) (applicable to both NMC and PIAC decision) Article 15(b)(vii) of the GJA Constitution 2004 (also applicable to both NMC and PIAC decision)
Article 166 (1)(b) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 5(1)(b) of Act 499 provide that the membership of NMC shall include two representatives nominated by the GJA, while Article 15(b)(vii) of the GJA Constitution mandates the National Executives to “appoint GJA representative to statutory bodies”.
The National Executive wishes to clarify that the decision to replace the GJA representative on the NMC and PIAC is grounded in good faith.
Indeed, the National Executives acknowledges the invaluable service rendered by Messrs Monney, Blewu and Adow in diverse ways to the GJA over the years, and highly commends them for the great honor done the Association in service.
While wishing them well in their future endeavors, the National Executives hopes they will continue to offer their services to the Association whenever duty and GJA call.
END
MEMO:
TO: National Executive Committee – GJA
FROM: Regional Chairmen (Members of National Council)
DATE: July 27, 2022
SUBJECT: Exclusion of Tema GJA / Call for National Council Meeting
We ,the undersigned Regional Chairmen of the Ghana Journalists Association, read with utmost surprise a press release issued by the National Executive of the GJA on Tuesday July 26, 2022 and signed by its General Secretary, Mr. Kofi Yeboah, replacing three members of the Association who were properly appointed by the former GJA executives to serve on the National Media Commission and the Public Interest and Accountability Committee.
Again, the unilateral decision by the National Executive to reduce the Tema Regional branch of the GJA into a Chapter without consulting the National Council and/or AGM and without regards to the GJA constitution has necessitated this Memo.
We are further surprised at the blatant disregard of the functions of the National Council as provided for in article 14 (b) of the GJA constitution 2004 and the current National Executive actions of not submitting its policies and programs to the Council for approval.
It is relevant to note that, the National Council is mandated by article 14 (b) (iv) of the GJA Constitution 2004 to supervise the administrative machinery of the Association at both National and Regional level but this check and balance provision has been blatantly disregarded.
We are by this Memo, as a matter of urgency, calling on the National Executive to immediately organize a National Council meeting and present its policies and programs for the year for consideration and also discuss some major actions and issues of national interest that appear to bring the name of the Association into disrepute.
On the matter of the NMC and PIAC replacement, we advise the National Executive to immediately write to withdraw its press release and apologize for the error in law.
It is worth adding that, the National Media Commission and the Public Interest and Accountability Committee are creatures of statute and cannot be controlled or allowed to be used by any individual or group of persons for their personal vendetta.
Section 6 (2) of the National Media Commission Act 1993 (ACT 449) states that, ‘a member of the commission ceases to be a member if, in the case of person possessed of professional qualification, he is disqualified from practicing his profession in Ghana by any order of any competent authority made in respect of him personally or he ceases to be a member otherwise than at his own request.
Section 7 (1) of ACT 449 further guarantee a three-year uninterrupted tenure of office for members properly represented on the Commission. To wit, members’ tenure of office is secured provided they are not caught by the provisions of Section 6 (1).
We also refer you to section 8 (2) of Act 449 on what happens when a member dies, resign or otherwise ceases to hold office.
On the matter of the PIAC replacement, we refer you to section 55 (6) of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act 2011, ACT 815 which provide that, ‘Members appointed to the Accountability Committee have security of tenure and unless otherwise provided for by law, or for medical reasons, may not be suspended, retired or removed from office’.
We’re perplexed about the National Executives’ ignorance of these provisions in the very laws they take consolation from.
The purported press release, has in our estimation, cast a dent on the knowledge and image of the GJA in the minds of right thinking Ghanaians and other stakeholders.
Our point is that, if the National Executives had complied with the provisions in article 15 (b) of the GJA constitution and consulted well with the National Council, this National disgrace would not have happened.
Respectfully, we call on the National Executive to immediately organize a National Council meeting in the interest of the GJA.
This is the time to rebuild the GJA in unity.
SIGNED
Maxwell Kudekor – Chairman – Eastern Region (Koforidua)
Larry Paa Kwasi Moses – Chairman – Brong Ahafo Region (Sunyani)
Yakubu Abdul Majeed – Chairman – Northern Region (Tamale)
William Nlanjerbor Jalulah – Chairman – Upper East ( Bolga)
Kingsley E. Hope – Chairman – Ashanti Region
Dzifa Emma Tetteh – Chairman – Tema Region
David Yarboi – Tetteh – Chairman- Central Region ( Cape Coast)
