Gagging The Media

Journalists

In spite of the role of the media in enhancing democracy and protecting the public purse against white-collar kleptomaniacs, practitioners continue to suffer from deliberate attempts at stifling the noble occupation.

Indirect machinations by the political establishment, using state institutions such as the police to somewhat coerce journalists to disclose the source of their information, are becoming the preferred option in the country.

Our occupation is about seeking news and presenting them to the reading public in accordance with ethics such as not divulging details about the source of the information we put out.

Regardless of the challenges we encounter in the course of performing our roles, such as the absence of a 'Right To Information' legislation to allow us unfettered access to details about management of the public purse inter alia, we have soldiered on.

But for such consistency in our resolve, classic thievery from the public purse would have eluded public attention and we would have failed to keep the executive and other arms of government on their toes.

We will pounce on any development which, in our estimation, is worthy of bringing to the notice of the public who voted the executive into power. This is a sacred duty we would not shirk, the machinations to throw spanners into the works notwithstanding.

Without the media, the power of the executive would have been excessive and arbitrary.

A few days ago, we witnessed a bizarre trend where some Criminal Investigation Department (CID) operatives were sent on a wild goose chase for details of how the Crusading Guide and Daily Guide newspapers chanced upon two important stories bordering on graft and misdemeanor. They pitched camp at the office of Alhaji Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr and although it was a useless venture, we are worried about the absurdity being inflicted by the executive using the police, and the precedent being established thereby.

We could not suppress the amazement the useless assignment triggered in us. Alfred Agbesi Woyome was a guest of the CID when news about his controversial collection of the unusual judgment debt hit the newsstands. During the engagement, he wrote a statement containing important details which some members of the executive would have rather were kept under the lid.

In the case of the Benjamin Kunbuor so-called car firing story, which turned out to be a lie, the police are ignoring the substantive issue of lying by a minister and chasing the newspapers which published the findings of the security agents.

It is an attempt to de-emphasise the real issue, much to the disadvantage of the state and therefore the people of Ghana.

Do the police exist to cover or uncover crime? Otherwise why would the security agents chase journalists as though highlighting thievery of the state purse is a criminal enterprise? Ghana under President Mills is a weird kettle of fish whose operations are beyond comprehension.