Journalist Under Military Surveillance

New National Democrat intelligence sources have stated that the news of covert and overt threats on the life of Raymond Archer, the editor –in –chief of the Enquirer newspaper should not come as surprise to the people of Ghana.

According to them journalists with the penchant for the truth and more particularly those reporting on sensitive institutions such as the Security Services and the presidency must brace themselves for a security onslaught in the bid to intimidate, harass and cow them into submission.

The sources said Ghana is fast sliding back into the era of tolerance and crude intelligence operations The allegations of the military and other security agents surrounding the house of Raymond Archer should not be allowed to pass without serious investigations. What makes the story more credible was the statement made by Nana Obiri Boahen, Minister of state at the Ministry Editor to go to court if he felt threatened by the surveillance mounted on him.

A top intelligence operative with almost 40 years experience in the security systems described the utterances of the NPP maverick of a Minister as unfortunate. He told the New National Democrat newspaper of the dangers posed by such irresponsible statement to the security of the state and the image of the country. The intelligence supreme contended that by asking Raymond Archer to go to court, Obiri Boahen was accepting responsibility on behalf of government that they have the right to place citizen sunder surveillance, more so when the agent were identified as military personnel.

According to the veteran intelligence officer, Obiri Boahen’s mention of Captain (Rtd) Kojo Tsikata seeking redress in a court of law when being trailed by the Military Intelligence was overstepping the issue at hand. He argued that it is an admission of moves and action by the government to erode people’s liberties and freedom enshrined in the 1992 constitution and called on civil society groups to stand up and speak against such dictatorial tendencies. “Those actions by Colonel Annor Odjidja in following Capt. Tsikata during the administration of President Hilla Limann’s People National Party (PNP), must not be repeated. It should not have happened in the first place for Tsikata to go to court,” he emphasized. Explaining the consequences of Obiri Boahen’s pronouncements, the intelligence source maintained that it was the failure of the institutions of the State under a constitutional democracy to protect civil liberties which galvanized support for the 31st December 1981 coup.

He said, Ghana has come very far and that such unorthodox practice of placing people under surveillance especially by the military in a constitutional democracy is totally unacceptable. He described the military’s action as not only provocative but abuse of their privileged position and asked them to desist from contravening the Fourth Republican Constitution. The intelligence source said it is morally and professionally wrong for the military whose main intelligence wing, the Military Intelligence (MI) to become obsessed with the story on the health status of the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen J. B Danquah. While he bemoaned the reportage on the health status of citizens, the intelligence supreme added “the solution lies in dialogue and skillful diplomacy to let the Editor of the Enquirer newspaper and those connected with the story see the need for decency and decorum in handling such sensitive matters.