Affail Monney rejects wise counsel for NMC Job

Details have started emerging about how Roland Affail Monney, the President of the Ghana Journalists’ Association (GJA), is scheming to represent the association on the Board of the National Media Commission (NMC).

DAILY GUIDE has gathered that Mr Monney was advised by some leading members of the GJA not to put himself up for the position after they received information that he was planning to withdraw veteran journalist, Dr. Doris Yaa Dartey, who is one of the two GJA nominees on the NMC Board.

The other GJA member, who happens to be the outgoing Chairman of the NMC, is Nana Kwasi Gyan Apenteng.

Dr Dartey replaced Kabral Blay-Amihere, who served two terms on the NMC Board.

The current GJA President has set a bad precedent for future GJA nominees through the truncation of the term of Doris Yaa Dartey.

Mr. Monney, who retired from Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), has largely been representing the Association on the boards of public institutions, including PIAC.

The NMC job goes with a monthly salary of about GH¢10,000, and Mr. Affail, who wants to be on the Board, was said not to have been endorsed by the GJA Executives.

The GJA President is joining the NMC Board with Bright Blewu, former General Secretary of the association and a close associate of Dr Dartey.

Mr. Monney reportedly lied to the leading members of GJA that he was not going to submit his name for the job.

However, before travelling to Namibia recently to attend the Digital Media, Youth Recruitment and Youth Communication workshop, he secretly submitted his name to the NMC to replace Dr. Dartey even though she still has a one term in office.

Mr. Monney is expected to be sworn into office today alongside other individuals as new board members of the NMC by Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo at the Supreme Court building in Accra.

Institutions like the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) have extended the mandate of their representatives.

He reportedly cut short his visit to Namibia to return to Ghana on Thursday, November 29 to enable him to participate in the inauguration of new commissioners on Friday, November 30.

Dr. Dartey, a veteran journalist and media trainer, has been one of the hardworking and selfless members of the GJA and the Ghana Writers Association (GWA) over the years.

At a point she solely financed the activities of GWA for a year as indicated by Nana Gyan Apenteng recently at the 7th edition of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) annual lecture.

Some executives of GJA, who spoke to DAILY GUIDE on condition of anonymity, said he had set a bad precedent for the Association.

For them, the removal Dr. Dartey, a loyal and committed member of the Association, would lead to loss of institutional memory and encourage other presidents to withdraw members of GJA on boards of institutions in future.