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The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has assured the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) of the readiness of the legislature to take a critical look at the enactment of the Electronic Communication Act Amendment Bill.
He said the House would never pass any law that would be a fetter to the press freedoms that had been so guaranteed in the Constitution.
“We know what is happening in other countries and we know how they are clawing back the progress that those countries have made. We do not want to go that way,” the Speaker added.
The bill, which was passed by Parliament recently, is to provide for the regulation of electronic communications and broadcasting, the use of the electromagnetic spectrum and other related matters.
Addressing a media soiree and recognition awards ceremony in Parliament last Saturday, Mr Bagbin acknowledged that the health of every society and democracy depended on the responsibility not only of the media, “but also of us who use the words”.
“We must also exercise our freedom responsibly because if you use responsible words, if you use decent language, the press will follow suit.
“They will not misreport because any person misreporting is not a media person, as the person will have entered into a different field, not journalism,” he said.
The Speaker further assured the GJA and the Parliamentary Press Corp of Parliament to facilitate the process for them to get consultancy “for us to put a bill together to work on as a country”.
“We need it urgently, particularly so when we are now trying to improve on the 1992 Constitution that has served its purpose; it is now time to make a change,” he said.
The Speaker’s assurance came after the President of the GJA, Albert Kwabena Dumfuor, called on Parliament to protect media freedoms.
“We want to remind Parliament of its constitutional duty to protect the freedom of expression and media freedom and we want to urge Parliament through your good office to resist laws and regulations that stifle free speech,” he said.
Mr Dumfuour particularly pointed out aspects of the Electronic Communications legislation being used against journalists, saying, “it is being used in place of the criminal libel act, which was repealed about 20 years ago”.
He, therefore, entreated the Office of the Speaker to either review the bill, repeal it, or clearly state the purpose for which the bill was passed and how it was being applied.
During the ceremony, awards were bestowed on members of the Parliamentary Press Corps for their distinguished output.
They included Elsie Appiah-Osei, Chief Reporter of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) - Best Online Parliamentary Reporter; Rachel Quartey of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) - Best TV Parliamentary Reporter; Ernest Kofi Edu of the Daily Guide, Best Parliamentary Reporter (Print); Kwaku Asante of Joy FM - Best Radio Parliamentary Reporter (English), and Emmanuel Akorli of Peace FM - Best Radio Reporter (Twi).
Others were Paul Egbenya of Channel One Television - Best Parliamentary Cameraman; Frank Bruce of Odikro Media - Best Social Media Parliamentary Reporter, with Awudu Mahama and Ahmed Osmanu Alid receiving long service awards.
