Folks the value of representation is something that goes to the heart of every leadership selection process, we do not engage in such rigorous diversity search and tedious considerations because we do not have any thing to do with our precious time, No!
In all spheres of life, in all manner of leadership roles, if there’s more than one person to choose, the key consideration would be not to concentrate power in the hands of one group of people.
That is why there are affirmative action policies to get women into some roles to represent the interest of women, disability policies to get persons with disabilities into leadership to represent and reinforce the interests of persons with disabilities.
It is trite to say that this narrative do not only apply to women and persons with disabilities, they also apply to professionals as well, Journalists, Lawyers, Doctors, Teachers etc.
What this means is that when people elect a human rights lawyer to the highest office of the land, the key consideration is that issues of rule of law, human rights and the enforcement of personal liberties would receive more attention than anything else.
That when a Journalist is appointed as the Minister for Information, the obvious expectation is that issues affecting journalists perhaps would recieve an even biased attention and that challenges or impediments to work of journalists like attacks on press freedom would receive an aggressive reform that would eliminate same if not reduced to the acceptable minimum.
Doesn’t it therefore comes off as rather strange and ironic that Ghana has a self-styled human rights lawyer as President but have received its worst ever human rights reviews in the history of the Country, reviews way worst than anything we could have imagined during the periods of millitary annexations.
Isn’t it rather awkward that we have an award winning top class journalist as an information minister yet journalists have recieved the worst attacks and harassments ever recorded in the history of this Country to the extent that a journalist had to pay the ultimate price with his life through a gruesome assassination?
How is it possible that under a revered journalist as a Minister for Information, Ghana has received its worst Press Freedom rankings yet, how??
The economists may refer to the “paradox of thrift” for possible answers to these striking questions, but we would take solace in these two paradoxes that…“ you can cloth yourself with all the accolades you want but the exigencies of power would expose you”
“You can chastise the local media and dissenting opinions all you want, the reality of the International Agencies would expose you”
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you President Akufo-Addo and his Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah the two destructive pair of hands who have shuttered Ghana’s press freedom and human rights credentials from the beacon of hope on the Continent to a degraded territory whose current compatriots are now the likes of South Sudan and Iraq.
I guess Standing Ovations are in order gentlemen!!
Mensah Thompson
Executive Director, ASEPA
Source: Mensah Thompson/Executive Director, ASEPA
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
Like seriously? You spewed lies and concocted stories about the Presidential jet being hired for shopping knowing very well you we're publishing false hood. You got away with it and as hypocritical and dishonest as you are you still stand at the roof tops asking that we applaud irresponsible journalists? I wonder what puppetry yours is.
Sam korankye Ankrah will pray for this ***barred word*** when he spews lies about the president
Activists are paid to be coup-muggers by the NDC.
The NPP is always demonstrating what they intend to do to improve a situation or transform the colonial economic system, whereas the NDC is always attempting to bring the NPP down with lies and baseless propaganda in the hope that Ghanaians will believe their lies. What annoys me most in all that is the assumption of the low level of intelligence of Ghanaians, lacking the intellect to read between the lines. This belies the fact doing the rounds that Bawumia and Alan's ticket for the 2024 elections could set a 16-year term-record for the NPP. While the Mahama NDC campaign continues to pay or hire journalists to report on false and sensational stories in order to score cheap political points.
It's amazing how some people in this country have suddenly created a new meaning for PRESS FREEDOM. Journalists have the right to air their opinion...however, if that opinion infringes on the rights of other people in the same society, then there must be checks and balances. Therefore, press freedom doesn't mean that you can go on air or sit on radio to spew LIES in an effort to destroy the reputation of others. For example, if you sit on radio to claim that the president met with 8 judges of the Supreme to persuade them to tilt judgement in his favour without a shred of EVIDENCE, you think that irresponsible journalist should be allowed to throw dust into eyes of the public with being questioned by the police or the appropriate state agency?