More troubles for Ghana Journalist Association

The New Times Corporation chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has resolved not to recognize Yaw Owusu Addo as GJA President and called for fresh elections within 30 days to select a new President. The chapter also rejected the verdict of the three-man committee that was set up to look into the electoral dispute and condemned the conduct and utterances of the committee's Chairman, Yonny Kulendi about journalists.

It called on the current GJA Executive to summon an emergency National Consultative meeting to discuss and resolve the dispute once and for all. Members criticized the GJA Executive for allowing the three-member Kulendi Committee to usurp its powers and pronouncing a verdict that had no precedent and no foundation under the GJA constitution.

The chapter members also doubted the integrity of Kulendi. "We are appalled at the utterances and conduct of Kulendi. We do not recognize him as the person to pass judgement on the dispute. We expected the executive to bring the committee's report to the entire membership; who are the only people who can pass judgement. The chapter called for the committee's verdict to "be thrown out of the window".

"We are not going to condone an illegality, or play the ostrich at this point to allow the perpetuation of an illegal decision by a committee, the head of which to all intents and purposes, cannot be trusted to mean well for the association", the Times GJA members said.

The Chapter resolved that if by the end of the 30 days, nothing was done to resolve the dispute over the Presidency, it will advise itself on the next line of action it will take".

The Kulendi committee was set up by the GJA after Owusu Addo challenged the eligibility of Yaw Boadu Ayeboafoh who won elections two weeks ago to be President of the Association. Yaw Owusu Addo lost to Ayeboafoh and conceded defeat but later argued that Ayeboafoh was not a member in good standing and therefore called for the nullification of the results.