Ghana is eight days away from the ninth consecutive presidential and parliamentary elections since the inception of the 4th Republic. Like every other election, security has become a priority in the quest to ensure violence-free voting and election activities.
This year, the National Election Security Taskforce, led by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, has assigned police officers to media houses as part of the security measures for the December7 elections.
Per the circular sent to the media houses, the assigned officers would promptly respond to any distress call for security intervention. They are not going to stay in the news rooms of the journalists to monitor their work.
The Chronicle finds the decision of the National Election Security Taskforce very welcoming, considering the fact that the stakes are high in this year’s elections. Also, there have been situations in the past where journalists and media houses were attacked for executing their duties. We think that if an arrangement such as this was in place, the affected media house could have quickly called for help.
Just this week, one of the studios of Metro TV, owned by Ignite Media Group, was invaded by an Auctioneer and a Bailiff to execute a court order. It took the intervention of another police team dispatched by the IGP to remedy the situation and ensure calm. In this particular case, the assigned police officers would have been readily available to ensure law and order before the escalation of the situation, which reportedly recorded some injuries.
Since all of us will agree that the 2024 general elections are crucial, no aspect of safety, especially for the media, should be compromised. Ordinarily, media houses should beef up their own security, so the arrangement by the National Elections Security Taskforce comes in handy.
It is for this reason that we are shocked to learn about how the Media Coalition, in raising concerns about the initiative, surprisingly created a negative impression to mar the otherwise good intentions of the police.
Addressing a news conference at the International Press Centre on Thursday, November 28, 2024 the President of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), Albert Dwumfuor, on behalf of the Media Coalition, cast aspersions on the National Elections Security Taskforce to demean this laudable initiative
The Media Coalition, which is the professional umbrella bodies of the media industry in Ghana, who represent the interests and concerns of media practitioners and media houses, did not understand why it was not invited to the meeting the Taskforce held with some editors about the initiative.
Because of the role of the Coalition, it would have been appropriate if it had been invited to the meeting with the editors. So we completely agree with the concern they have raised.
That notwithstanding, we are appalled by the misreading and impressions the Coalition created, some of which made allegations against the National Elections Security Taskforce in the form of questions.
The Coalition said it believed that it was deliberate “rather than inadvertence,” not to be invited, “as the police try to avoid our role, eagle eye, and agility to protect and promote the interest of the media industry.”
It continued that, “First, is it a strategy to interfere with the work of the media? Is it a ploy to leak information from media houses? Which media houses have the Police enlisted to detail its media liaison officers to? We can see some dark clouds surrounding this initiative by the police, and answers to these questions will clear the sky.”
It must be stated that The Chronicle was not at the said meeting, but had information that senior editors and journalists who were present did not have qualms with the initiative. It is, therefore, surprising that the Media Coalition is criticising the initiative in this manner. It appears that the Coalition is registering its displeasure because they feel snubbed.
For us, we do not see how the National Elections Security Taskforce that intends to cow the media into silence would offer to provide them with security. In any case, the officers are not stationed at the premises of the media houses or in the newsrooms to warrant the question of whether it was a strategy to interfere in the work of the media house or leak information. The meeting said when a media house is in need of security, they should contact the liaison officers.
It is our position that, whereas the concern raised about not being invited to the stakeholder meeting is legitimate, but not obligatory, as there is no law to that effect; the Media Coalition should not have impugned such motives. They seem to be questioning the intelligence of the editors who met with the National Election Security Taskforce, where the initiative was discussed and accepted.
Indeed, there are other issues with the security agencies and the media, which should be addressed with all the arsenal at our disposal, as an inky fraternity, but on the assigned police liaison officers to media houses, Media Coalition, please you have goofed badly.
