Law on Contempt must be codified for Clarity

Law on Contempt must be codified for Clarity

…Argues Prof. Karikari

By Awal Mohammed

The Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Professor Kwame Karikari, has called for a clear codification of the law on contempt in order to ensure clarity. This, he said, should be done in a manner that does not criminalize speech or media expressions.

Speaking at a public forum organized jointly by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and the National Media Commission (NMC) in Accra was concerned about the contempt issue and the criminalization of speech, for which reason participants at the forum were to deliberate on some key questions for consideration.

According to him, the procedure of allowing the very court which has been scandalized or interfered with, to punish the interference itself, seemed "to fly in the face of the cherished principles on natural justice, especially the audi alteram partem rule, and thus creates an anomaly in our judicial system.”

He observed that the contempt cases at the Supreme Court (SC) had raised numerous questions about the rights to free speech, media (press) freedom and wondered whether there were or should be limits and what limits there should be to these freedoms.

Professor Karikari further added that; "in a country with a written constitution and written criminal and penal codes, its citizens can ill to live in the realm of uncertainty in respect of the all important offence of contempt of court."

Touching on the arguments raised by a section of the public in recent times in connection with whether the decisions of the Supreme Court on the contempt cases threatened free speech, he noted that the cases were likely to affect the media and the general public's comments on the work and outcomes of the work of the judiciary.

By hindsight and a possible way of substantiating his point, he cited the summoning of Mr. Sammy Awuku, Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party and the subsequent convictions of Mr. Stephen Atubiga, a National Democratic Congress Communicator and Mr. Ken Kuranchie, Editor of the Daily Searchlight newspaper, as having equally raised loud questions about the professional and ethical weaknesses and malpractices of the media in Ghana.

"The contempt cases again highlight relief disturbing questions about the responsibilities of political leaderships and their commitment to promoting an enlightened culture on the conduct of public discussion on public affairs," he asserted.

Professor Karikari further shed light on how the two leading political groups—the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP)—consistently appeared to be encouraging the use of the media to foment animosity and needless polarization of society.

He therefore cautioned all political parties and their activists to rethink their attitudes to media usage and also called on their leadership to publicly reprimand members who insulted the public’s intelligence by making reckless and irresponsible expressions.

A lecturer at the School of Communication Studies of the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, on her part pointed out that because of the infant nature of the Ghanaian democracy and the fact that her populace had had a long history of authoritarianism coupled with the culture of silence and the suppression of free speech, the court should be moderate in dealing with these cases in order to deflate fears that characterised those horrific days they once experienced.

She called on the courts to be circumspect in responding to such a nebulous issue as contempt of court. The request for public education on these matters as the best way on drawing attention to the ambit of the concept did not skip her lips.

Hansol And Affiliate Companies Accuse DCE Of Extorting 70,000 Ghana Cedis From It To Protect It From The Activities Task Force

Hansol And Affiliate Companies  Accuse DCE Of Extorting 70,000 Ghana Cedis From It To Protect It From The Activities Task Force

By Awal Mohammed

Hansol and Affiliate companies have  accused the DCE, of Asankragua of extorting an amount of 70,000 Ghana cedis from it through the NDC Chairman of Asankragua under the pretext of safeguarding their operation area from the activities of a inter-ministerial task force.

According to Mr. Edward Kwasi Akuoko who is In-Charge of Public Relation for Hansol, there were some unscrupulous persons within some of the state security agencies who have no role in the Inter-ministerial task force have taken undue advantage of the exercise to rob its sites all in the name of a national exercise.

He also noted that just recently an official, who claimed to be working with the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) by name Otuo Acheampong visited the Company CEO's house in the Bosomtwe district of Ashanti at about 7:00pm, and told residence that he has been authorized from 'above' to set its two excavators ablaze if he is not shown documentation covering their operation.

"The task force on 18th March, 2013 raided our sites in the Ashanti Region, made away with some kilos of gold worth $450,000, some cash, and 10 pick-up vehicles and finally set some equipment including two excavators ablaze" he said. Although they reported the matter to the police, nothing concrete was heard from them he noted.  "A petition to that effect was subsequently sent to the government through the Attorney General, and copied to other relevant Ministries by  our solicitors, but no avail" he said.

Mr.Akuoko also asserted that about a week ago the task force led by the District Chief Executive of Asankragua raided the Akonta Mine site which is a large mining concession where Hansol is providing service support and made away with cash running into millions, ceased equipments and pick up vehicles and finally torched the structures. " This followed an extortion of 70,000 Ghana cedis from the company" he reiterated.

He  also lamented how the task force's activities and excessive use of force has generally led to the perceived demonization of the industry without any mention of the benefits to the state thus drawing no line of distinction between Galamsey ( considered illegal) and small scale operations ( considered legal).

 "Such unilateral display of excessive force and needles exuberance used during such operations has generally led to a perceived demonization of the industry in the eyes of most Ghanaians and International community without any mention of benefits to the state" he pointed.

According to him their company ( Hansol and affiliate companies) has contributed immensely towards employment generation in Ghana and the overall development of the state, as they continue to build new schools and renovate old ones, construct  bore-holes, feeder roads, hospitals among other things for their host communities.

The task force was inaugurated by the President on the14th of May,2013 is a five-member inter-ministerial taskforce to fight against illegal small scale mining (galamsey) throughout the mining areas of the country. The members are made up of: Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Chairman; Mr Mark Woyongo, Minister for Defence, member; Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, Minister for Interior, member; Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, member and Ms Hannah Tetteh, Minister for Foreign Affairs, member.

The taskforce would among other responsibilities seize all the equipment the illegal miners use, arrest and prosecute both Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians engaged in small scale illegal mining, deport all non-Ghanaians engaged in the practice and revoke licenses of Ghanaians who have sub-leased their concessions to non-Ghanaians.

They would also hold Metropolitan, Municipal and District chief executives and district security councils accountable for any illegal mining activity in their areas of jurisdictions among other responsibilities.

MOHAMMED AWAL: 1.3 Billion Tons of Food Wasted Every Year

MOHAMMED AWAL: 1.3 Billion Tons of Food Wasted Every Year: 1.3 Billion Tons of Food Wasted Every Year By Awal Mohammed According to the United Nation’s (UN) Food and Agriculture 1.3 billion ...

1.3 Billion Tons of Food Wasted Every Year

1.3 Billion Tons of Food Wasted Every Year

By Awal Mohammed

According to the United Nation’s (UN) Food and Agriculture 1.3 billion tons of food is being wasted every year. It also noted that the amount of food wasted was equivalent to what is being produced in the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said that there were many instances where food that society produced were allowed to go waste without thinking about the effects it would have on the resources that went into its production.

“Some of us have developed consumption lifestyles that we cook more than we can eat and throw the leftovers into the dustbins” he lamented.

He said this on the celebration of the World Environment Day at EFUA Sunderland Park, Accra on the 5^th of June, 2013.

On the national front, he lamented how a lot of foodstuffs were lost especially during bumper harvest due to what he described as “lack of storage facilities and poor transportation network. Ghana like many other developing countries experience food wastage and losses he asserted.

These wastage and losses as it was being experienced in Ghana and the world occurred mainly; at the early stages of the food value chain due to financial, managerial and technical constraints in harvesting techniques as well as storage and food preservation.

To effectively avert this worrying trend, he noted that, the supply chain should be strengthened by supporting farmers with investment in infrastructure, transportation, as well as an expansion of the food and packaging industry. With these supportive mechanism, “we inevitably would also reduce waste materials transported to the cities” he said.

He noted that, all the resources and inputs used in the production of food that is wasted are also lost.

And Rawlings wept…

 

By Mohammed Awal & Amanda Obeng

A former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings, yesterday joined thousands of Ghanaians to mark the one-week mourning of the demise of the late President Prof. John Evans Atta Mills in Accra.
The late President passed away on Tuesday, last week, at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, after battling cancer.
Mr. Rawlings, who was at the Castle Garden, Osu, to mourn with the family, government and people of Ghana, could not control his tears as he wept.
The former President, who is also the founder of the Mahama-led ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and had been an ardent critic of the departed soul’s style of governance, amazed mourners at the event from the way he broke down.
The former military junta head shared his perspective on the demise of the late President Mills some hours after the disaster to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), where he made uncustomary remarks of the late President.
He stated that if the late President had been wiser, he could have lived for at least six to seven months. This sparked confusion in the West African country.
In a swift rebuttal, the family of the late President described Chairman Rawlings’ comments as “insensitive, uncustomary and in-humane.”
The Office of President Rawlings later apologised to the family of the late President for their boss’ unguarded comments on BBC.
In a message, President John Dramani Mahama, who succeeded the late President, stated that “the departed soul had paid his dues to the country.”
He, therefore, used the occasion to appeal to the family of the late President to forgive those who vilified his former boss when he was alive.
President Mahama assured the nation: “The Funeral Planning Committee of the late President is doing its best to give a befitting burial to the late President.”
According to him, the late President had passed a heavy responsibility to him. So, he pleaded to the good people of Ghana to rally behind him, to enable him perform the task.
The officiating Minister, Rev. Amu Darko, told the gathering that the late President would have wished for a solemn celebration.
Dignitaries present at the Castle Gardens included the Chief Justice, Her Lordship Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, Chairman of the Council of State, Prof. Kofi Awoonor, ministers of state, first lady of the Republic, Mrs. Lordina Mahama, a former first lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings.
The mourners, who were all in mourning clothes, sang hymns, while prayers were said by various reverend ministers to mark the one-week commemoration of the death of the late Professor.

The bloodshed in Syria must cease

The bloodshed in Syria must cease – Kofi Annan

By: Mohammed Awal

Former United Nation’s Secretary General, Kofi Annan has called for immediate ceasefire in Syria, cautioning the parties in the conflict to exercise restraint and avoid any further bloodshed.

“I remind the parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law, and urge them to exercise restraint and avoid any further bloodshed,” he noted in a statement wired to The Chronicle by the offices of the United Nations in Accra.

According to the former UN envoy, he was concerned with reports about heavy deployment of armed men and the continuous usage of heavy artillery in Syria’s largest city of Aleppo by the Assad regime, and therefore, called on the international community to “to come together to persuade the parties involved to smoke the peace pipe for tranquility to prevail.”

In view of the bombardment and heavy shelling by the Syrian Army, Mr. Annan said it was only political transition leading to political settlement that could restore peace in Syria.

He therefore called on all parties concerned to return to the negotiation table for a possible political settlement in order to bring an end to “this looming crisis and continuous bloodshed, thus bringing long lasting peace to the door steps of the Syrian populace he echoed.”

Amnesty demands release of jailed Gambian Human rights advocate

Amnesty demands release of jailed Gambian Human rights advocate

By Amanda Moutrage & Awal Mohammed

Amnesty International and other civil society groups are advocating for the immediate release of Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh, a Gambian national who was arrested last year for treason.

According to the groups, Dr Janneh’s continues detention constitutes a violation to his right to freedom of expression, in accordance with the Gambian Constitution and other International Human Rights treaties.

This call was made at a press conference on the occasion of the Gambia Day of Action, observed at the International Press Centre in Accra. 

Along with representatives from the Human Rights Advocacy Centre and the Media Foundation of West Africa, the objectives were highlights as a matter of urgency, mainly concerning Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh, a Gambian national who was arrested last year for treason.

On 7 June 2011, Dr. Janneh was arrested for being in possession of T-shirts which featured the slogan ‘End to Dictatorship now’. He was, therefore, accused for the production and distribution of these shirts and sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour.

The Day of Action is held annually on 23 July, 2012, coinciding with Gambia's Freedom Day held on 22, July 2012. Mr. Vincent Adzahlie-Mensah of the University of Education –Winneba, briefly highlighted that while Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh states that Freedom Day is dedicated to celebrating the day, he took power during a military coup.

Amnesty International insist that "the dire human rights situation in the Gambia and the restrictions on freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly makes President Jammeh's self-proclaimed 'freedom day' laughable."

Mr. Adzahlie-Mensah also highlighted the incident where 50 foreigners, including 44 Ghanaian nationals, were killed by Gambian security forces with no explanation. He also mentioned  that  hostilities  towards journalists, human rights activists and political opponents in the Gambia has worsened with the majority  being subjected to unlawful arrests and detentions, torture, unfair trials, harassments, assaults and death threats.

Since March 2006, several political figures have been unlawfully killed or subjected to unexplainable disappearances and unfair sentencing.

Human Rights Advocacy Centre's representative, Mr. Robert Akoto Amoafo explained that people arrested unlawfully have no access to legal representation and are held for longer than 72 hours without a charge. He stated that this is in violation according to Gambia's 1997 Constitution where several articles under Chapter 4 protect the rights to life, protection of personal liberties, prohibiting arbitrary arrests and detentions as well protecting freedom of speech and privacy and prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of political opinion.

As apart of this years Day of Action, Amnesty International are demanding the immediate release of Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh with all charges made against him are dropped. They are also demanding a stop to unfair trials in the Gambia, a call for the eradication of violating and control of the freedom of expression within Gambia.