d…… His reign as DG of GBC Considered Dark Days
for Press Freedom
Prof. Kwame Karikari, the Executive Director of Media Foundation for West
Africa and former Director-General of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, is
one man who has consistently professed to be proponent of media freedom.
But a cursory look into his activities over the past few years leaves much
to be desired.
Prof. Kwame Karikari served as Director-General of the GBC from 1982 to
1984, and during his tenure, private newspapers such as the Catholic
Standard, the Ashanti Pioneer and many others, were banned from the
editorial review on GBC.
The editorials of these newspapers were completely banned from being read
on all GBC networks because Prof. Karikari saw their editorial policy as
very critical of the government at the time, and subsequently, recommended
for the closure of these media houses.
His activities as Director-General of GBC were seen by many as very
repressive to press freedom and free speech, and many lovers of press
freedom were not surprised when he was booted out of GBC for general lack
of leadership, mismanagement, incompetence.
It was this same Prof. Kwame Karikari who supervised the anti-free speech
regulations introduced at the Daily Graphic during the reign of
ex-President Kufuor in 2002.
At that time, the Daily Graphic employees’ rights to free speech were
curtailed through recommendations by Prof Karikari during the reign of Yaw
Boadu-Ayeboafo as the editor. And Alhaji A.B.A. Fuseini became the victim.
During the time, Alhaji A. B. A. Fuseini was part of the Radio Gold
“Alhaji & Alhaji” programme, which Kufour did not like. He, therefore,
used the management of the GCGL at the time to pass a regulation banning
employees of the company from going to Radio Stations to comment on
political issues.
To enforce Kufuor’s decision, the GCGL management set up a committee, under
the leadership of Prof. Kwame Karikari , and the recommendation by the
committee banned workers of Graphic Corporation from exercising their
right to free speech.
Professor Kwame Karikari has carried himself as a proponent of press
freedom but his records show otherwise. And it is ironic that such man is
in charge of Media Foundation for Africa.
His overt display of disdain for the Mills Administration against the
ethics of his profession has become a matter of public concern.
When NPP hoodlums attacked “Asempa FM” recently, nobody heard a word from
Prof. Kwame Karikari, and yet, when the government communications team
boycotted Multimedia for NPP’s uncivilized attacks on press freedom, Kwame
Karikari suddenly regained his lost voice, and claimed that government
decision is an attack on media practice.
Prof. Kwame Karikari is a direct beneficiary of government largess but he
never misses an opportunity to show his open disdain for the NDC government.
As a consultant to the Freedom of Information Bill, and a direct
beneficiary of government largess, it is expected that he does not allow
his political party affiliation to mar the beauty of the organization he
represents.
The True Statesman
info@thetruestatesman.org
