A.B.A. Fuseini’s Assault On The Gja Was Misplaced!

I heard A.B.A. Fuseini on myjoyonline.com on 5th February 2010 punching some holes on the intention of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to reprimand Baby Ansaba of the Punch newspaper for confessing that, he in the past acted unethically through the fabrication of stories about politicians in the media.

With all respect Mr Fuseini was totally wrong in all respect and I did like to add that his interview which was basically an attack on the integrity of the GJA was misplaced and honestly unnecessary!

My reasons are as follows; firstly Mr Fuseini is the board chairman of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GJA) an Institution which trains Journalists for the media in Ghana and beyond. There is no Journalist on this earth either formally or informally trained who is not aware of the essence of upholding high ethical issues in Journalistic practice. Mr Fuseini knows this. The Ghana Institute of Journalism of which he is the chairman of the governing council teaches this and insists on that. So what at all was he talking about?

I hope Mr Fuseini is not condoning and conniving with gutter Journalism and unethical misbehaviour of Journalists especially when such Journalists out of their own volition confessed that, they had in the past fabricated stories!!

If such Journalists admit fabrication of stories now which the GJA preaches against it becomes only automatic for the association to want to listen to such Journalists and to as well investigate them. I hope Mr Fuseini is not expecting the GJA to have gone to the International Press centre to lock them there and pretend nothing was happening? Even if it were to be possible for them to do that, some of us would have gone to the press centre to “break” the doors and pull the executives out to investigate!

Another issue which Mr Fuseini got very wrong was his comparison of allegations of bribery of $125,000 against Kwesi Pratt in the past and Ato Sam’s confessions!

There is definitely a world of difference between CONFESSIONS and ALLEGATIONS! In Mr Pratt’s case it was a bribery allegation against him and the person who originated the allegation was a certain Nana Fitz. In Baby Ansaba’s case it is a confession of fabrication of news in the past occasioned by a trip he had with President Mills to Trinidad and Tobago. The intriguing thing about Baby’s case he failed to name a single person who instigated him to fabricate stories!

In such a situation what is the GJA’s crime in wanting to investigate the case? Is Mr Fuseini inferring that, what was wrong in the past and nothing happened should still be allowed to continue till eternity in a “yeresesemu” (Change) government?

It is very sad that, the GJA which among other duties is expected to ensure journalistic sanity and adherence to higher ethical standards has Journalists as its number one stumbling block to achieving this objective! The GJA is truthfully not receiving the support of the very Journalists who makes up the Association. I do wonder if it is of any use having it at all if it can not be allowed to crack the whip when ever necessary by its own members?

I have been a member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the United Kingdom and I can say that, if Baby Ansaba had made these confessions in the United Kingdom; only history would have told the story of journalists called Baby Ansaba who once confessed to fabricating stories!

Even as board Chairman of the Ghana Institute of Journalism Mr Fuseini would have had several clarifications to make about his comments against the GJA in relation to the Baby Ansaba case by virtue of his position as somebody whose role as Chairman of the Institute that trains Journalists includes ethical issues!

I did like to suggest that, in the impending constitutional review/amendment in Ghana; a provision should be inserted making it mandatory for all those who want to practice Journalism in Ghana to be members of the GJA.

The GJA must also be empowered to reprimand deviant Journalists without baseless attacks from either its own members or even the general public. Let us remember that, freedom of the press is not synonymous to freedom to fabricate!

Let us also be reminded that, fabrication is a crime in all professions globally! The G.J.A. should not therefore get discouraged with these empty and misplaced assaults on its work. Go on GJA!

Akilu Sayibu, UK

Email: Akilu.Sayibu@live.uwe.ac.uk