TV Africa Crew tortured at Adjei Kojo … files complaint at NMC

TV Africa Crew tortured at Adjei Kojo

… files complaint at NMC

By Mohammed Awal

Mr. Kabral Blay Amihere, NMC boss

Mr. A.C. Ohene, the Head of News and Current Affairs at TV Africa said the News Crew of the TV station on Friday March 7th, 2014, was subjected to brutal treatment by some National Security personnel at Adjei Kojo.

A.C. Ohene said the Management of TV Africa had a distress call from the team that “it was being held by a National Security unit that had pitched camp near the demolished spot for no specified offence.”

The crew, which was headed by the Yaa Hammond, (Journalist), included Kingsley Acheampong (Camera), Suleiman Awudu (sound) and Douglas Kofi Benyin (driver), narrating their nightmare, said they were rounded up by a policeman and a soldier while they were taking camera shots at the site and marched to an outpost where about 50 police and military men were camping.

According to the crew, their camera was seized and they were ordered to remove their socks, as well as surrender their cellular phones and wrist watches.

They further noted that they were taken through indecent body searches, after which they were detained for two hours.

In a complaint to the National Media Commission (NMC) against the torturous treatment meted out to the crew, Mr. Ohene said; “a Colonel who led the harassment, by name Kofi Ahadzie, later called Yaa Hammond on phone to come for the seized camera”.

He said as the Head of News and Current Affairs , TV Africa, he led the team to go and collect the camera and also to demand for answers, the reason  why the harassment, confiscation of equipment and detention.

One Colonel Nibo and Colonel Ahadzie, who met the team agreed to release the camera, but on condition that it did not carry any audiovisuals that could be used for stories against them.

Offensive intent

The security officers answered in the negative when the Head of News and Current Affairs of TV Africa wanted to know whether it was a crime to film the flattened site.

The security personnel suspected the TV crew to be with “offensive intent”, thus the treatment they received, adding that it would have been nice if they had sought their permission before scouting for audiovisuals.

Treatment could have been worst

To ensure amicable resolution of the impasse between TV Africa and the Security personnel, the TV station said they demanded unqualified apology for the unjustifiable anxiety due to the bad treatment and seizing of camera, but the security officers counterclaimed that they rather deserved an apology.

Col. Ahadzie, according to Mr. Ohene, said that the treatment meted out to the crew was “normal treatment that is subjected to everybody under suspect, and that the body search and interrogation could have been worse or deeper."

Bagbin has the mark of provoking controversy -Blay

Bagbin has the mark of provoking controversy -Blay

By Mohammed Awal

Mr. Freddie Blay, a former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament in the erstwhile NPP regime, has described as “unfortunate” his former colleague, Alban Sumana Kingford Bagbin’s sentiments that MPs take bribes to articulate the views of some individuals and organizations on the floor of the House.

Mr. Freddie Blay

In an interview with The Chronicle at his office, Mr. Blay, who is also vying for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) first vice chairmanship position, described Mr. Bagbin, MP for Nadowli/Kaleo, as someone who has the mark of “provoking controversy.”

Mr. Blay further noted that he had never seen people (MPs) being bribed in his days as a legislator to influence outcome of debates before the House, adding that what Mr. Bagbin said was “unfortunately mischievous and not fair.”

He also denied allegations of him (Freddie Blay) dragging individuals who accused MPs of taking bribes to the Privileges Committee of Parliament, arguing that it was “not the duty of the First Deputy Speaker of the legislature to haul these people to the committee.”

The Daily Graphic in its edition of 10/3/2014 reported the former minority leader, who also had a stint as majority and minority leader of the House, as saying that MPs take bribes to argue for their masters.

The article reported Mr. Bagbin as stating that evidence to that effect existed, adding that the practice had persisted because of the lack of laid-down rules and ethics on lobbying in the country.

“The reality is that MPs are Ghanaians and there is evidence that some MPs take bribes and come to the floor and try to articulate the views of their sponsors.
“This is because in Ghana we have not developed what we call lobbying. There are rules; there are ethics regarding lobbying and we in Ghana think that lobbying is taking money, giving it to MPs and writing pieces for them to go articulate on the floor. That is bribery,” he was quoted as saying by the state media.

Provide proof

However, the Minority leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu in an interview with Citi FM, a local radio station in Accra, challenged Mr. Bagbin to furnish the House with evidence to prove his claim or withdraw it.

“He should come with better and further particulars about what he knows that some of us don’t know,” he said, adding “if the allegations are true, some interrogations have to be conducted into the matter to ascertain the truth.

“If what he said cannot be substantiated, then certainly, we will have to put him to the task of reversing what he is alleged to have said,” the Minority leader asserted.
Bagbin U-turn

Beleaguered to substantiate his bribery claims, Mr. Bagbin, appears to have bowed to pressure, denying he made those comments and that he had been misquoted “completely.”

He claimed on Adom FM, another local radio station in Accra, that his comments were taken out of context and that the entire media reportage was also unfair t o him.

Businesses to storm Accra for IPMATIIC Africa 2014

Businesses to storm Accra for IPMATIIC Africa 2014

By Mohammed Awal

Dr. Shelly Amos

Businesses across the world are expected to participate in the upcoming International Project Management, Trade, Investment and Industrial Conference (IPMATIIC) Africa 2014, slated to take place in Accra, Ghana, from19th to 21st May.

The Chairman of Shelley’s Group of Companies, Ambassador Dr. Shelly Amos, whose firm is collaborating with Ghana's Ministry of Trade to organise the event, noted that businesses from Africa, Asia and Latin America among others would participate at the maiden event.

IPMATIIC Africa “was aimed at unveiling, unraveling, reawakening our minds to the potential of African worth in human capital, natural resources and how these could be harnessed through project management and best practices to give us total industrial independence” he told journalists at the launch in Accra.

The Project Director, IPMATIIC Africa 2014, Chinnedu Onuaha noted that it was evidential that Africa has not “maximized her available opportunities as far as international trading and industrialization are concerned”, stating that IPMATIIC Africa would unveil the platform of un-harvested trade, investment and industrial opportunities available to be harnessed.

“As a gathering of over 500 delegates from all walks of life and of  course leaders with varied wealth of experience from the length and breadth of Africa and the rest of the world, there would be  a mega brainstorming where ideas would be shared and acquired.”

A representative from the Ghana Investment and Promotions Centre (GIPC), Mr. Charles Poku-Mensah, said the GIPC fully support the conference adding that they are committed by mandate to create congenial environment for investment in Ghana, facilitate and promote these investments, as well as, formulate policies to regulate and protect them leading to the economic growth of Ghana and by extension Africa.

“With a complete reorientation of our mindset and focus as a people, we should be able to achieve the African industrial economic framework which will lead us to industrialization independence,” added GIPC.

ESPA rids Motorway of filth

ESPA rids Motorway of filth 

By Mohammed Awal

ESPA Workers Cleaning

The Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA), as part of their corporate social responsibility and rebranding campaign, has embarked on a clean-up exercise along the Tetteh Quarshie-Tema motorway stretch of the capital, to rid it of filth.

ESPA, which is the mouth piece of all waste collecting companies in the Greater Accra Region, said the exercise, which was held over the weekend, was meant “to ensure a cleaner environment, thus a healthy people in a healthy nation.”

The First Vice President of ESPA, Mr. Danny Anang, called for constant sensitization of the public on the hazards of "indiscriminate littering" of the environment, adding that "constant reminder will make people change their attitude."

He, however, admitted that "attitudinal change" would not come overnight, but      "with sustained education it would be possible.”

Executive Secretary of ESPA, Mrs.AmaOforiAntwi said ESPA’s main objective was to educate the public and ensure they "refrain from littering the environment indiscriminately.”

What ESPA hopes to achieve, she stated, was to ensure clean environment, adding that they wanted to see Ghana clean thereby promoting good health of the people.

She added that with clean environment, Ghana can boost of healthy people who would be productive to ensure the expansion of the Ghanaian economy.

Mrs.Ofori-Antwi also pleaded with the government to provide them with a dumping site in Accra. Lack of it she lamented does hinder upon their efficiency in operations.