The information I had before the interview was scanty, I therefore render my sincerest apology– Affail Monney
Roland Affail Monney, President of the Ghana Journalists Association has apologised for his earlier comments on the assault of Citi FM journalists Caleb Kudah and Zoe Abu Baidoo Addo by National Security operatives last Tuesday. “I therefore render my sincerest apology for any misimpression created that I was insensitive to the plight of the two journalists but excited about the excesses of the National Security operatives.” Mr Monney was reported to have said Caleb Kudah broke the GJA Code of Ethics because his motive was not clear. But his comments were roundly condemned by many including some executives of the GJA. Affail Monney at a press conference today indicated that he only spoke on scanty information at the time of the incident. “On Wednesday, 12th May, 2021, around 5:40 pm I granted an interview at Kumasi Airport to Joy FM. Admittedly, the information I had was sketchy. So I reluctantly went ahead to speak to the issue. I began by instinctively and profoundly expressing my tenderest solicitude to and fullest solidarity with the two journalists. Indeed, I faulted Caleb whom I thought was “openly “ filming a video at the Ministry of National Security before his arrest.” He indicated that his comment about the alleged assault on Caleb Kudah was overhyped to spark an agenda against him. “Unsurprisingly, my condemnation of the office invasion and physical brutalisation was muted while my comments on Caleb’s ethical style was tilted and overly highlighted obviously to achieve certain sensational ends. “As a student of leadership, I have learned that a leader is not afraid to change course when confronted with fresh information which challenges earlier assumptions.” Read full statement below: STATEMENT BY AFFAIL MONNEY AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON MOLESTATION OF CITI FM REPORTERS AT GHANA INTERNATIONAL PRESS CENTRE ON 14TH MAY 2021 Good morning colleague journalists, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. Please accept my deepest gratitude for responding to the invitation to attend this morning’s press conference which will last not more than five minutes. I am holding it in my personal capacity as a Senior Journalist and a resident of No 4 Puma Street, Adentan, Accra. This press conference is principally to set the records straight and share a few comments on the raging storm over the molestation of two Citi FM reporters, Caleb Kuda and Zoe Abu Baidoo Addo. On Wednesday, 12th May, 2021, around 5:40 pm I granted an interview at Kumasi Airport to Joy FM. Admittedly, the information I had was sketchy. So I reluctantly went ahead to speak to the issue. I began by instinctively and profoundly expressing my tenderest solicitude to and fullest solidarity with the two journalists . Indeed, I faulted Caleb whom I thought was “openly “ filming a video at the Ministry of National Security before his arrest. I , however , added pointedly that the alleged ethical breach did not , and , does not justify the inordinate use of force and intimidatory tactics against the poor journalists. I roundly condemned the “ massive” invasion of Citi FM premises by security operatives to scale up the degree of intimidation against the entire staff and management. I again said that the response by these security operatives was totally out of proportion to the so called offense by Caleb. It clearly violated the law of proportionality. Unsurprisingly, my condemnation of the office invasion and physical brutalization was muted while my comment on Caleb’s ethical style was tilted and overly highlighted , obviously to achieve certain sensational ends. As a student of leadership, I have learned that a leader is not afraid to change course when confronted with fresh information which challenges his earlier assumptions. As I indicated, the information I had before the interview was scanty. What is available now is sufficient, as legal luminaries , distinguished ethicists and social critics slice and dice the issue from all angles. It is healthy for a free society such as ours for viewpoint diversity to be manifestly venerated, not maliciously castigated. I also take note of the righteous indignation and emotional overdrive over the issue. I, therefore, render my sincerest apology for any misimpression created that I was insensitive to the plight of the journalists but excited about the excesses by the National Security operatives. Indeed, those excesses pass for wickedness at its most naked nastiness. And I totally denounce them. Under my presidency, attacks or threats against journalists ,irrespective of the perpetrators or victims , have received outright condemnation. So there is no way the latest ones against the Citi FM journalists will be swept under the carpet. Not at all. Indeed, the ordeal as narrated by the journalists is heart rending, soul wrenching, mind boggling, and earth- shattering. The intrinsic value and inherent dignity of the two as human beings were blatantly violated. Their freedom as journalists, too, was scandalously abused. The misbehaviour of the national security operatives can exert a significant chilling effect on the media landscape as a whole. This must stop. In view of this, I urge the Committee of Enquiry set up by the Ministry of National Security to quickly move into action to impartiality unravel all the circumstances surrounding the issue. The findings and recommendations should also be implemented with urgent promptitude to give meaning to our motto as a land of freedom and justice. The Lord is our refuge and strength. I thank you for your kind attention. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
WPF Day: Allow media to express themselves freely – Mahama to Akufo-Addo
Former President John Dramani Mahama has charged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to create an environment that is devoid of intimidation for the media. Mr Mahama said this to mark the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day celebration on Monday May 3. In a Facebook post, Mr Mahama said “I want to encourage President Nana Akufo-Addo and his close associates to seize the occasion to create an atmosphere that is more tolerant of criticism and devoid of intimidation in order for the media, CSOs and individuals to freely express themselves and contribute to national discourse. #WorldPressFreedomDay.” 3 May acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. Just as importantly, World Press Freedom Day is a day of support for media which are targets for the restraint, or abolition, of press freedom. It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the pursuit of a story. Every year, 3 May is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom, to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration(link is external) on media pluralism and independence. 3news Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
There’s no culture of silence since the days of Adu Boahen — Adom-Otchere jabs Sam Jonah
Host of the Good Evening Ghana show on Metro TV, Paul Adom-Otchere has rubbished Sir Sam Jonah’s claim that the culture of silence is back under the Akufo-Addo’s government. He said there’s no culture of silence since the days of Adu Boahen. According to him, Ghana has been progressing steadily in a constitutional development and everybody can speak their minds. “Where’s the culture of silence? Culture of silence is a brutal situation; one that you grant an interview in ‘House B’ and ran away to ‘House A’ because as soon as the interview is published, there’s a problem. That’s culture of silence. There’s absolutely no culture of silence. There’s no culture of silence since the days of Adu Boahen. Ghana has been progressing steadily in a constitutional development and everybody can speak,” he said in an editorial on his show on Tuesday, 27 April 2021. In a recent speech to Rotarians in Accra titled ‘Down the up escalator – Reflections on Ghana’s future by a senior citizen’, the executive chairman of Jonah Capital, an equity fund based in Johannesburg, South Africa, said: “In the past, when all had failed, academia was the last vanguard”. “We all remember the role that the Legon Observer played”, he said, adding: “Under the hallowed cloak of academic freedom, men and women of conscience could write and speak words that penetrated the halls of power”. However, he noted: “It appears to me that in recent times in our fourth Republican dispensation, the courage to stand up for the truth and the determination to uphold the common good are lost. In our dark moments as a nation, it is concerning that the voices of the intellectuals are receding into oblivion”. “Sadly, it is a consequence of the deep partisan polarisation of our country such that everything is seen through the lenses of politics”, noting: “It appears to me that the culture of silence has returned. This time, not enforced by legal and military power but through convenience, parochialism, hypocrisy and lack of conviction”. “Where are our Adu Boahens and PAV ANSAHs?” he asked. However, Mr Adom-Otchere said: “The culture of silence, I don’t agree with, there’s no culture of silence”, adding: “There’s a culture of silence but he’s speaking, other people are writing and these days, social media has become very brutal, Twitter is brutal”. “You can’t call that a culture of silence”, he insisted. “With the greatest of respect”, he said: “You cannot call what is happening in Ghana today a culture of silence”. “Who is not able to speak?” he asked, citing as an example: “Even when the president was concerned about a documentary that had been created to indicate that he was in support of some violence, what did the president do? He sued at the National Media Commission where nobody gets punished, nobody goes to prison, nothing happens to anybody; people are just asked to apologise”. He stressed: “The president of the republic, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, was concerned about a publication, he sued at the National Communication Authority. Is that a culture of silence where he’ll file a writ at the National Media Commission and complain that this journalists has done this story against me, ‘NMC, take a look it’? That is not the atmosphere of culture of silence”. So, Mr Adom-Otchere noted, “I’m not so sure of the culture of silence”. “So, I wasn’t surprised when I saw a headline, I didn’t quite read it, I saw a headline where [former President] Kufuor was asking Sam Jonah about where the culture of silence was”. “There’s absolutely no culture of silence”’, Mr Adom-Otchere emphasised ad nauseum, noting: “He [Sam Jonah] says it is creeping back, he actually says it has returned and here we disagree with him, there’s no culture of silence”. “Go to Twitter and see if there’s a culture of silence. Pick up a newspaper tomorrow and see if there’s a culture of silence. Listen to the radio in the afternoon. These days, they’ve developed these political afternoon shows – all of them start from 2 o’clock – listen to them and see if there’s a culture of silence”, he challenged. He said a culture of silence is nothing to be spoken about lightly. In his view, “if there’s concern about the number of voices speaking for Person A and Person B, you can say that but to say there’s a culture of silence in Ghana is absolutely wrong”. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
‘Criticise us as violently as you can but for Christ’s sake, don’t insult us’ – SC Justices to media
The Judiciary has said it is willing and happy to be criticised but not maligned and insulted. Speaking at a joint press conference organised by the Judiciary, the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), National Media Commission and the Ghana Bar Association in Accra on Wednesday, 3 March 2021, a Supreme Court Judge, Justice Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi, appealed to the media not to speak hatred of the Justices although they can freely be criticised. “His Lordship has said I should tell you that as trustees of the people’s power of justice, we are willing and happy to be criticised. Criticise us as violently as you can but for Christ’s sake, don’t insult us, don’t berate us, don’t speak hatred, don’t malign us. Don’t because like yourselves and the work that you do and the heart that you bring to bear on it, it’s a similar responsibility, it’s a similar consciousness with which judges embrace their work,” Justice Kulendi noted. The comment of the Justices comes after the media called the bluff of the Judiciary in a statement. The GJA had described as “obnoxious” and “threats to media freedom”, a warning issued by the Judicial Service through its lawyers Sory@Law, that it will take appropriate actions against media houses who fail to delete certain comments its clients – Justices of the Supreme Court – find hateful and vengeful of their work vis-à-vis the election petition hearing. The Judicial Service, in a letter to the media houses which, according to it, had published “hateful, spiteful, vengeful and incendiary” comments about the Justices of the Supreme Court, ordered the media platforms to “pull or cause to be pulled down and cleared from your platforms”, all such statements and speeches. The Judicial Service also demanded that those media houses, as well as all others, “prevent the publication of such statements and speeches on your platforms”, and “forthwith, exercise the highest level of discernment, discretion and responsibility insofar as the publication of statements and speeches regarding the administration of justice is concerned”. Responding to the letter a press conference on Monday, 1 March 2021, GJA President Affail Monney said: “If not reversed immediately, the ill-advised, ill-timed, ill-crafted and ill-issued statement by the Judiciary can provoke a tsunamic backlash, lower the dignity of the court in the eyes of freedom lovers and critical citizens, pollute the media environment, undermine our impressive media rankings globally and dim the beacon of our democracy”. Read the GJA’s full statement below: STATEMENT BY GJA PRESIDENT, AFFAIL MONNEY, AT A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GHANA INTERNATIONAL PRESS CENTRE ON MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021, IN REACTION TO THREATS AGAINST THE MEDIA BY THE JUDICIAL SERVICE Good morning, members of the GJA National Executive, our distinguished, ladies and gentlemen. A special welcome to senior members and veterans of our profession who have joined us at the Ghana International Press Centre, the citadel of press freedom and free expression as well as a bastion of our democracy. This hurriedly convened press conference has been triggered by a statement by the Judicial Service in which it ordered the media to “immediately pull down” from their platforms “statements and speeches which convey, and/or insinuate hateful, spiteful, vengeful, incendiary communication against justices of the Supreme Court, especially, those hearing the election petition. Furthermore, the media must prevent the publication of such statements and speeches”. The Judicial Service then threatened to take, what it called, “appropriate action to ensure that the media do not abuse the right to free speech.” Ladies and gentlemen of the media. The GJA is, to put it mildly, dumbstruck in reading this obnoxious directive pregnant with insidious threats to media freedom in Ghana which is touted as a land of freedom and justice. With all due respect, this is scandalous. Unsurprisingly, our telephones have been flooded with calls, both local and international, from journalists, media watch organisations, defenders of press freedom and free expression, seeking to know what exactly was happening since that contentious statement by the Judicial Service was issued. It is universally acknowledged that media right is not absolute, but qualified. And legal experts teach us that such qualification must chime with the dictates of the law, due process, and must be exercised in such ways as to achieve legitimate aims and objectives. In crafting the scandalous statement, the GJA is principally of the view that the Judicial Service ought to have avoided any impression or situation that has the tendency to instill fear and promote a culture of silence into which Ghana had been enveloped during the period of autocratic misrule. Criticism, they say, is a gift which all arms of government need. So it will be miscarriage of fairness to deny the Judiciary that gift. Ann Landers once said “the naked truth is better than a well-dressed lie”. Contextually, the naked truth is that the Judicial is not immune to criticism. However, that criticism must be done in a manner that does not bring the administration of justice into disrepute. To this end, the GJA urges the media community to be calm, and not to be led into temptation to scandalise the court with unhinged comments or verbal stones, no matter how provocative the statement of the Judicial Service might be. The GJA will like to remind its members that far from acting on the basis of any threat or intimidation to “immediately pull down” from their platforms as requested, the media should rather act in the spirit of the GJA Code of Ethics that says: “A journalist corrects inaccuracies and mistakes at the earliest opportunity and offers a chance for a rejoinder and/or an apology as appropriate”. It is lodged in our memory that the Judiciary has the power to commit any erring journalist or media house for contempt, using, of course, acceptable protocols, and appropriate mechanisms. What they should not consider at all in this context is any unprecedented or antiquated method which smacks of censorship, intimidation or resuscitation of the culture of silence which can spell unthinkable socio-political consequences. The GJA is
I Won’t Take Covid-19 Vaccine With Journalists Today – Manasseh Azure Writes
Last night, I received an invitation from an executive of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to come for the Covid-19 vaccination today at the Ghana International Press Centre. I asked further questions and I was told that 800 doses of the vaccine provided to Ghana through the Covax initiative have been allocated to journalists. I was excited about the opportunity. I have never bought into the wild conspiracy theories. I have been looking forward to the opportunity to get vaccinated. And here was one! On second thought, however, I decided to decline the invitation so I communicated it to the GJA executive and gave my reason. I’m relatively young and do not have any known underlying health condition. I know many active or retired journalists are old. I also know journalists who are young but have underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to the vagaries of Covid-19. With the limited doses available, I don’t think it is right to go and get the jab while those who need it more than I may not have the opportunity. Ghana has a population of about 30 million. We took delivery of 600,000 doses from the Covax arrangement. And if each person is to get two doses of the vaccine, then it means we will cover 300,000 people. (I stand to be corrected). I’m eager to get this vaccine to protect myself, my family, and those I come into contact with. But I know there are many people out there–in this case, many journalists–who need it more than I. I’ll wait. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
Your insidious threats to media freedom in Ghana scandalous – GJA to Judges
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has described as scandalous, a directive given to media firms to pull down stories that put justices of the highest court of Ghana in a bad light. The directive was issued on behalf of the Court by lawyers of the Judicial Service of Ghana, Sory@Law. They claim some of the publications in the media are “a series of incendiary, hateful and offensive statements, and speeches. . .against the Justices”. But at a press conference in Accra on Monday March 1, President of the GJA Affail Monney said“ the GJA is, to put it mildly, dumbstruck in reading this obnoxious directive pregnant with insidious threats to media freedom in Ghana which is touted as a land of freedom and justice. With all due respect, this is scandalous.” “Unsurprisingly, our telephones have been flooded with calls, both local and international, from journalists, media watch organizations, defenders of press freedom and free expression, seeking to know what exactly was happening since that contentious statement by the Judicial Service was issued. “It is universally acknowledged that media right is not absolute , but qualified. And legal experts teach us that such qualification must chime with the dictates of the law, due process , and must be exercised in such ways as to achieve legitimate aims and objectives. “In crafting the scandalous statement, the GJA is principally of the view that the Judicial Service ought to have avoided any impression or situation that has the tendency to instill fear and promote a culture of silence into which Ghana had been enveloped during the period of autocratic misrule. “Criticism , they say , is a gift which all arms of government need. So it will be miscarriage of fairness to deny the Judiciary that gift. Ann Landers once said ‘the naked truth is better than a well dressed lie. ‘Contextually, the naked truth is that the Judicial is not immune from criticism. However, that criticism must be done in a manner that does not bring the administration of justice into disrepute. To this end, the GJA urges the media community to be calm , and not to be led into temptation to scandalize the court with unhinged comments or verbal stones , no matter how provocative the statement of the Judicial Service might be.” Below is the full statement … STATEMENT BY GJA PRESIDENT, AFFAIL MONNEY, AT A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GHANA INTERNATIONAL PRESS CENTRE ON MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021, IN REACTION TO THREATS AGAINST THE MEDIA BY THE JUDICIAL SERVICE Good morning, members of the GJA National Executive, our distinguished menbers, ladies and gentlemen. A special welcome to senior members and veterans of our profession who have joined us at the Ghana International Press Centre, the citadel of press freedom and free expression as well as a bastion of our democracy. This hurriedly convened press conference has been triggered by a statement by the Judicial Service in which it ordered the media to “ immediately pull down “ from their platforms “ statements and speeches which convey , and / or insinuate hateful, spiteful, vengeful, incendiary communication against justices of the Supreme Court, especially, those hearing the election petition. Furthermore, the media must prevent the publication of such statements and speeches. The Judicial Service then threatened to take , what it called , “ appropriate action to ensure that the media do not abuse the right to free speech.” Ladies and gentlemen of the media. The GJA is, to put it mildly, dumbstruck in reading this obnoxious directive pregnant with insidious threats to media freedom in Ghana which is touted as a land of freedom and justice. With all due respect, this is scandalous. Unsurprisingly, our telephones have been flooded with calls, both local and international , from journalists, media watch organisations, defenders of press freedom and free expression, seeking to know what exactly was happening since that contentious statement by the Judicial Service was issued. It is universally acknowledged that media right is not absolute , but qualified. And legal experts teach us that such qualification must chime with the dictates of the law, due process , and must be exercised in such ways as to achieve legitimate aims and objectives. In crafting the scandalous statement, the GJA is principally of the view that the Judicial Service ought to have avoided any impression or situation that has the tendency to instill fear and promote a culture of silence into which Ghana had been enveloped during the period of autocratic misrule. Criticism , they say , is a gift which all arms of government need. So it will be miscarriage of fairness to deny the Judiciary that gift. Ann Landers once said “ the naked truth is better than a well dressed lie. “ Contextually, the naked truth is that the Judicial is not immune from criticism. However, that criticism must be done in a manner that does not bring the administration of justice into disrepute. To this end, the GJA urges the media community to be calm , and not to be led into temptation to scandalize the court with unhinged comments or verbal stones , no matter how provocative the statement of the Judicial Service might be. The GJA will like to remind its members that far from acting on the basis of any threat or intimidation to “immediately pull down” from their platforms as requested, the media should rather act in the spirit of the GJA Code of Ethics that says “A journalist corrects inaccuracies and mistakes at the earliest opportunity and offers a chance for a rejoinder and/or an apology as appropriate”. It is lodged in our memory that the Judiciary has the power to commit any erring journalist or media house for contempt, using of course, acceptable protocols, and appropriate mechanisms . What they should not consider at all in this context is any unprecedented or antiquated method which smacks of censorship, intimidation, or resuscitation of the culture of silence which can spell unthinkable
UER: Do not be swayed by their partisan and ….- Senior Lecturer to Journalists
A Senior Lecturer and Media Consultant to the Ghana Journalist Association, (GJA), Dr. Bonnah Koomson has advised journalists not to be swayed by their partisan and ideological affiliation to mislead the public with inaccurate and biased election reportage. He intimated that in as much as media practitioners are not barred to belong to a political party, that legitimacy should not in any way be compromised as they are duty-bound to sustain the country’s prevailing peace and stability through balanced reportage. Dr. Koomson advised on a day media engagement on election reporting jointly organized by the GJA and the Electoral Commission. In all about 30 journalists drawn from the Northern, North East, Upper East, and Upper West Regions attended the training workshop. They were schooled on the GJA guidelines on election reporting as well as electoral laws and preparations among other topical electoral issues. For his stressed that per the GJA guidelines on election coverage, Journalists are mandated to cross-check every piece of information that they receive and be fair to all subjects of the news. He acknowledged that journalists can monitor election results and inform the public with provisional results, but warned that anything short of ethical reporting amounts to an electoral offense punishable by law. Apexnewsgh.com/ Ghana/ Prosper Adankai Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications
UER: Make sure you choose a representative to be part of …..- EC Director
The Upper East Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) William Obeng Adarkwa has urged all political parties to make sure they chose a representative to be part of the District Inter-Party Advisory Committee (DIPAC) that is to be formed. Speaking at an Inter-Party Advisory Committee meeting (IPAC) to brief representatives of the political parties, the media, and security services, he encouraged the political parties to elect credible members to the District Inter-Party Advisory Committee. Addressing the Committee, Regional Director assured that, the EC will work in collaboration with IPAC to increase awareness on the modalities in the electoral regulations as well as guide party agents in the execution of their role for sanity to prevail at the voting centres. Through IPAC forums, political parties participated in key electoral processes such as voter registration, the development of the Election Code of Conduct, and the procurement of electoral materials. This has resulted in the Electoral Commission largely succeeding in building confidence and achieving credible improvements in electoral management, leading to the conduct of four successful general elections with few complaints from the participants. The IPAC Meeting aimed to give a briefing on the preparation put in place so far by the EC regarding the voting exercise and the expected conduct of the various political party representatives before, during, and after the elections. It also created an opportunity for the party representatives to express their satisfaction or otherwise over voting material received so far by the EC in the region, their safe custody, and their subsequent dispatch to the various polling stations with few days to the polls. BACKGROUND In the 1992 founding elections, the opposition parties disputed the presidential election results and subsequently boycotted the parliamentary elections, which were held separately. There were a few pockets of violence around the country. In the interests of peace and stability, the Commonwealth Observer Group recommended dialogue, even if it was informal but the initial NDC-NPP dialogue failed because of deep mistrust between the two parties and suspicions about the electoral process. In March 1994 the Electoral Commission created the Independent Party Advisory Committee, an informal and non-statutory body comprising representatives of political parties and of the Electoral Commission. The main functions of IPAC include serving as a channel of information for the commission and the parties and to enable them to discuss all aspects of the programme and activities of the commission with parties and donors. It is to ensure that parties and donors make an input into the management of the electoral process and, at the same time, bring out their concerns for general discussion; to facilitate regional, district, and constituency level IPAC meetings. The Electoral Commission, with donor support, also embarked on a comprehensive programme of reforming the electoral process and enhancing its credibility. Although IPAC decisions are not binding on the EC, it has served as a forum for generating proposals for electoral reform and has succeeded in building trust in the electoral process, especially among political parties. Apexnewsgh.com/ Ghana/ Prosper Adankai Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications
2020 Special Voting: 5,947 to vote in Upper East Region
Out of 660,181 registered voters in the Upper East Region, a total of 5,947 voters will take part in the 2020 Special Voting on Tuesday, December 1. They include the election officers, security agencies and the media practitioners who would be working on December 7. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Bolgatanga, Mr Worlanyo Mensah Tegah, the Deputy Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) disclosed that the special voting would take place in all the 15 district offices of the Commission, however, Bolgatanga Central would be divided into two making the total voting centres for the special voting 16. Breaking the statistics down, the Deputy Regional Director noted that Bolgatanga Central, which would have two polling stations for the special voting had 416 and 415 voters respectively while Navrongo Central had 622. A total of 739 would be voting in Bongo, 529 in Bawku Central, 157 in Binduri, 105 in Bolgatanga East, 393 in Builsa North, 156 in Builsa South, and 543 in Chiana-Paga. The rest include: 106 in Garu, 565 in Zebilla, 167 in Tempane, 533 in Pusiga, 465 in Talensi and 36 in Nabdam. Mr Tegah disclosed that 1,496 polling stations would be used on December 7, for the elections and the directorate had received all the election materials and added that the Commission was prepared to deliver on its mandate on the election days. He disclosed that some election officials had already received training while a few more were undergoing orientations. He said measures were in place to ensure that all the prescribed protocols to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease pandemic were strictly adhered to and added that COVID-19 ambassadors had also been trained in that regard. Mr Tegah, therefore, urged the public to cooperate effectively with the election officials and the security agencies on the elections to ensure a peaceful and violence-free election. He further warned the youth not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to foment trouble on the Election Day and added that the law would deal with any miscreants who tried to disrupt the conduct of the elections. GNA Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications
A1 radio’s current affairs Producer resigns
The 2019 Upper East Region award winner of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) Human Right category award and Producer of the most influential current affairs/ political programme popularly known as Daybreak Upper East (DBUE) Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen has resigned from Agreed Best Communication Limited a subsidiary of A1 RADIO 101.1MHZ. Mr. Ngamegbulam in a resignation letter captured by Apexnewsgh.com stated that the reason for his resignation was based on management decision and pressure on him to choose between his established website and A1 Radio. “I was given an option by my management to choose between my private website and A1 radio to work with, and upon thorough thinking, I accepted and chose my newly established website. Because my management sees my website as a conflict of interest, regarding my role as a member of A1 Radio newsroom.” So far, in the Northern sector media landscape, Mr. Ngamegbulam is noted as one of the most influential Radio Producers which has a lot of skills and tests in radio production when it comes to his relationship with top hierarchy personalities in both local, national and international. Notable among the personalities Mr. Ngamegbulam has produced was the now current President and Vice President of the Republic of Ghana President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and now the National Democratic Congress (NDC) running mate for the 2020 elections Naana Opoku Agyeman just to mention but few. Mr. Ngamegbulam before now has contributed his quota at A1 radio and the development of the Upper East Region especially by holding duty bearers and appointees accountable on issues of Development in the Upper East. He is known as a very straightforward, serious, strict kind of personality when it comes to his job because he always wants to deliver by maintaining his long built quality and reputations. Because of his kind of person, Mr. Ngamegbulam had been in a good relationship with his employer and colleague workers from 2013 to date. He further extends gratitude to all the various political party communicators and as well as his contact resource persons in both home and abroad for the wonderful cooperation they have enjoyed so far. “I want to thank all the political party communicators I have worked closely with for their supports and cooperation. Please, let me use this opportunity equally to render an apology to those who genuinely felt offended in our line of duty due to one or two different ideologies, ‘Yes, such is expected in any human institution, but I think the most important is to forgive and move on because the world is not our own.” He said Meanwhile, Mr. Ngamegbulam who is popularly known as Chief Producer one (1) has worked with Albert Sore, now JoyFm Upper East correspondent, Christopher Asima, Albert Azongo, Abrahim Aziz, Aboagye Emmanuel and Samuel Mbura as hosts of Daybreak Upper East (DBUE). Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana Please kindly contact Apexnewsgh.com on email:apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications.