Indulging in myself

Two things happened at the last National May Day Parade in Accra that set me thinking about what Achebe has described as “when we are young and without experience we all imagine that the story of the land is easy; that every one of us can get up and tell it. But that is not so."

When the workers of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd got to the  Presidential Podium, one of the workers shouted to attract the attention of the President, to sack their managing director, something which attracted a remark from the commentator as to whether the worker employed the managing director.

But the worst was yet to come. When the staff of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation took their turn to march, one of the workers carried a placard which bore inscriptions urging the  President to abolish the National Media Commission (NMC) because it was irrelevant,

That both incidents came from media houses underscore the fact that some of our media personnel do not understand nor appreciate the responsibility placed on them to hold the government accountable to the people.

That also reflects the fact that these media workers do not understand provisions of the 1992 Constitution on media freedom as well as the relevance and  independence of the NMC as underlined in  Articles 162 (5) and 172,

Article 162 (5) states that "All agencies of the mass media shall, at all times, be free to uphold the principles,  provisions and objectives of this Constitution, and shall uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people of Ghana", whilst Article 172 states unequivocally that "Except as otherwise provided by this Constitution or by any other law not inconsistent with this Constitution, the National Media Commission, shall not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority in the performance of its functions". 

Attempted censorship

I have lived through a situation as the News Editor, where the board of directors of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd, attempted to censure the Editorial Board of the Daily Graphic in 1992 because a story about the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the Front Page had a headline smaller than another story on the New Patriotic Party on Page 3.

The agony was that a member of the board, Mr Kwame Gyewu Kyem, was a former Editor of the Ghanaian Times who knew or ought to have known that a story on the Front Page of a newspaper is at all times of more significance and importance than a story on any other page in the newspaper.

I worked as Director Newspapers, with a board of directors who could not distinguish the differences between a straight news report, a feature and a column and thus used the principles of a straight news report to indict  me for abuse of office, by using my column to write about my mother and her funeral in 2017.

Equally, as Editor of the Daily Graphic, I encountered a board which in 2008, attempted to dismiss the  Production Editor of the Daily Graphic  because he had designed an additional  Front Page of the next day's paper with a photograph predicting the results of the 2008 general election.

Some staff members conspired and printed a copy  which they sent to the NDC head office with the twist that the Daily Graphic was plotting to rig the elections.

The date and folio number reflected the next day. 

There was also an attempt by the board to introduce censorship after the Daily Graphic accurately reported on its Front Page, the story about the divorce of Arcbishop Duncan Williams and his first wife,  because in their thinking, the story should have been carried by the Mirror and not Daily Graphic.

In all these situations, apart from the incident in 1992, we managed to resist the machinations of the boards because of the provisions of Chapter 12 of the 1992 Constitution.

These are some of the experiences I went through and the lessons  picked and that is why I become  weary when I hear media people disparaging the NMC.

I am proud that I am the first  person to have served as both the Executive Secretary and Chairman of the Commission and will not sit idly by to allow people who do not understand or appreciate the architecture and functioning of the Commission to baselessly and ignorantly denigrate and disparage it.

In my time as chairman of the Commission, we ensured that we did not allow the Executive to dilute our appointment processes by selecting the candidate that we considered worthy for appointment to head any of the state-owned media.

We presented only the top most candidate for consideration, unlike previously, where the Commission presented three candidates, which allowed the Executive choice, even if what was suggested by the Executive was not the most preferred choice of the Commission.

To the glory of God, not a single one of the choices we made was rejected by the Executive, confirming my belief that if people appointed to head public institutions discharge their obligations conscientiously, the powers of the Executive can be contained. 

Self-indulgence

Since my intention is to immerse myself in self-indulgence, let me recount one incident as a lecturer and share publicly what one of my students at the MA level at Christian Service University recently sent to me. It reads: "Dear Prof. YAW BOADU-AYEBOAFOH,  I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for an incredible academic journey.

Your lectures have been a constant source of guidance and motivation, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from someone as passionate and knowledgeable as you.

Your ability to break down complex concepts into engaging and accessible lessons has made a significant difference in my understanding and appreciation of the media and its related issues.

Your enthusiasm and your love for teaching is evident. Learning is so much fun with you.

"What sets you apart, however, is your unwavering commitment to your students’ success.

You've created a safe and supportive environment where we feel encouraged to ask questions, share our thoughts and explore our ideas.

Your patience,  empathy and kindness have made a significant difference in my confidence and self-belief.

You've inspired me to think critically, to challenge my abilities and to strive for excellence in all aspects of my life.

You've shown me that learning is a life journey and that it's okay to be curious, to ask questions and seek answers.

Thank you for being an exceptional lecturer.

Thank you for helping me believe in myself and for helping me discover my own strengths and passions.

I'm sure you may underestimate your impact on your students. Don't Sir.

It's a positive one.

I told my mates that I am a freelance journalist now. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have learned from you and I look forward to applying the lessons you've  taught me in my future endeavours.

Sincerely
Victoria Ayitey Frimpong”