FONKAR Boy Fights Media Commission

The Herald is in firm grip of information that Emmanuel Dela Coffie, the famous and controversial ex-member of Friends of Nana Konadu (FONKAR), is battling the National Media Commission (NMC) over the choice of name for his newspaper called “The True Statesman,” which hits the newsstands tomorrow morning.

This paper gathered that, the NMC is denying him the right to his proposed name “The True Statesman”, on the basis that the paper’s name would conflict with Mr. Gabby Asare Darko’s “New Statesman”.

The Herald has it that Mr. Dela’s defense is that there are newspapers with the same or similar names that have been registered at the NMC, rendering its (NMC’s) reason for not granting Mr. Coffie’s request porous.

This paper has learnt that on Monday, 21 November 2011, a meeting was held between the NMC and Mr. Coffie at which the Commission had asked Mr. Dela to change the name of his paper “The True Statesman”, but he had declined, demanding a written letter from the NMC on the Commission’s position on the matter so that he could consult his lawyers.

But the Commission chaired by Kabral Blay-Amihere has failed to grant Mr. Coffie’s demand. Mr. Coffie is reported to have said the Commission’s request was being “ultra vires and an infringement on his right of choice”.

He cited the examples of Ghanaian Lens and Crystal Clear Lens, Crusading Guide, New Crusading Guide and Daily Guide, among other newspapers that are using similar names as compared to the case of his and Gabby’s newspaper.

The Herald has intercepted a letter signed by Mr. Coffie dated November 21, 2011, informing the NMC that “in the exercise of my right to work and earn a living, I shall consider that I have your tacit consent to publish “The True Statesman” if I do not receive a written letter to the contrary from the Commission by close of day 22 November 2011”.

Meanwhile, at the time this paper was going to bed, Mr. Dela hinted that his newspaper would be out tomorrow as planned.