Today in 2010: Flying national flag without lincense is illegal

In 2010 Goldfields Ghana Limited, sponsors of the Black Stars, adulterated the national flag and embossed its logo in the middle. This action was condemned by the government and some citizens among them was the Legal practitioner, Ace Ankomah.

He described Flying national flag without lincense as illegal stating that one cannot use the flag or its design or the Coat of Arms or part of it or a part of either of them for any purpose except with a license given by the Minister for Interior for a special time or purpose and on its condition.

Read the full story originally published on October 11, 2010, on Ghanaweb

Legal practitioner, Mr. Ace Ankomah, has said that flying the national flag on a car or house without a license from the Interior Ministry on days either than public holidays is illegal.

He said “People have the national flag on their mobile phones, it’s on T-shirts, and the Coat of Arms are on T-shirts and things that we wear, we display the flag in our offices. A strict application of this 1959 legislation would mean all of those constitute illegal uses of the flag or its design.”

Mr. Ankomah’s comments follow the government’s concern about what it described as the misuse of the national flag by mining company Obuasi Goldfields.

A Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, told Joy News’ Araba Coomson that the government was unhappy because the company had adulterated the flag and even embossed its logo in the middle.

The conduct of the mining firm, Mr. Ablakwa noted, “is not acceptable in any country, it is disrespect for our national symbols and national emblems and we have just spoken through the GFA (Ghana Football Association). We have asked that the practice be stopped immediately.”

He said if Goldfields Ghana Limited, which sponsors the senior national team, wants to advertise its company logo and flag for commercial purposes, it is at liberty to do so, but “the national flag must be [left] as it is – red, gold, green with a black star, nothing more, nothing less!

Mr. Ankomah agreed. “Basically you cannot use the flag or its design or the Coat of Arms or part of it or a part of either of them for any purpose except with a license given by the Minister for Interior for a special time or purpose and on its condition.”

He said displaying the flag on a day that is not proclaimed as a festive occasion is illegal and “a person who uses the flag in breach of the law is liable to be sentenced and fined.”

He said although it may sound ridiculous, by a strict application of the law, displaying the national flag during a football match – if that day has not been proclaimed a festive day – will be illegal.

According to the lawyer, the issue raised by Mr. Ablakwa should put The Flag and Arms Protection Act 1959, into the front burner for national discussion.