Accra, Aug. 10, GNA – The former President, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday charged media organizations to institute measures to promote self-regulation among its members to enhance ethical and professional standards.
He said the growing use of unedifying expression in the media was a cause for concern and has wide ramification for the peace of the country.
Mr Kufuor was speaking at the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law in Accra.
The programme, which was organized by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), with sponsorship from MTN, was on the theme: “A decade of advocacy for press freedom and freedom of expression”.
Former President Kufuor also charged the media to ensure that they exercise their new found freedom of expression with responsibility and circumspection.
He said since the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law (CLL) ten years ago, Ghana has been identified as one of the countries in Africa with a free media which could also be compared to that of the advanced countries.
He commended the MFWA for organizing the anniversary celebrations and urged them to make the event an annual programme, “to remind Ghanaians where the country had come from, in terms of press freedom and freedom of expression.
Mr Ernest Kofi Abotsi, a Lecturer at the Law Faculty of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science Technology (KNUST), who spoke on the topic: “Repeal of the criminal libel law: The balance sheet for Ghana’s democracy”, said even though the criminal libel and seditious law had been expunged from the criminal code, there still exist other laws, like section 208 of the code, which could be criminally applied to stifle press freedom and free expression.
He said the law on causing fear and panic, as in section 208 of the criminal code was too broad and could be “unlawfully applied by opportunists against their opponents for their narrow parochial interest”.
Mr Abotsi also urged the National Media Commission (NMC) to be proactive rather than reactive and that the NMC, under the 1992 constitution, has been empowered enough to enforce its laws.
He said despite the repeal of the criminal libel laws the country still has a long way to go in terms of media accountability, the right to free speech and media rights.
Mr Kabral Blay Amihere, Chairman of the NMC, who spoke on the topic: “Constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression: Significance and challenges”, said the emerging polarization on the Ghanaian political front is what had led to the current use of intemperate language in the media.
He said the lack of preparation by journalist and non vigilance by talk-show host has lead to many political commentators using indecent and violent language in the media.
Mr Amihere said some contributions from the public to the Constitutional Review Process (CRP) were calling for the amendment of the law, to enable journalists to be sanctioned.
He said the contributions to the CRP was a worrying signal because “the very people who fought for the repeal of the criminal libel law, now feel that media had become arrogant and not accountable to anybody and so does what pleases them.”
“Let us not create the condition that would lead to the clampdown of the media by the very people who supported the fight against the repeal of the criminal libel laws” he added.
He urged the government to support the NMC to enhance its capacity to be able to deliver on its constitutional mandate.
