FROM: Regional Chairmen (Members of National Council)
DATE: July 27, 2022
SUBJECT: Exclusion of Tema GJA / Call for National Council Meeting
We ,the undersigned Regional Chairmen of the Ghana Journalists Association, read with utmost surprise a press release issued by the National Executive of the GJA on Tuesday July 26, 2022 and signed by its General Secretary, Mr. Kofi Yeboah, replacing three members of the Association who were properly appointed by the former GJA executives to serve on the National Media Commission and the Public Interest and Accountability Committee.Again, the unilateral decision by the National Executive to reduce the Tema Regional branch of the GJA into a Chapter without consulting the National Council and/or AGM and without regards to the GJA constitution has necessitated this Memo.
We are further surprised at the blatant disregard of the functions of the National Council as provided for in article 14 (b) of the GJA constitution 2004 and the current National Executive actions of not submitting its policies and programs to the Council for approval.
It is relevant to note that, the National Council is mandated by article 14 (b) (iv) of the GJA Constitution 2004 to supervise the administrative machinery of the Association at both National and Regional level but this check and balance provision has been blatantly disregarded.
We are by this Memo, as a matter of urgency, calling on the National Executive to immediately organize a National Council meeting and present its policies and programs for the year for consideration and also discuss some major actions and issues of national interest that appear to bring the name of the Association into disrepute.
On the matter of the NMC and PIAC replacement, we advise the National Executive to immediately write to withdraw its press release and apologize for the error in law.
It is worth adding that, the National Media Commission and the Public Interest and Accountability Committee are creatures of statute and cannot be controlled or allowed to be used by any individual or group of persons for their personal vendetta.
Section 6 (2) of the National Media Commission Act 1993 (ACT 449) states that, ‘a member of the commission ceases to be a member if, in the case of person possessed of professional qualification, he is disqualified from practicing his profession in Ghana by any order of any competent authority made in respect of him personally or he ceases to be a member otherwise than at his own request.
Section 7 (1) of ACT 449 further guarantee a three-year uninterrupted tenure of office for members properly represented on the Commission.
To wit, members’ tenure of office is secured provided they are not caught by the provisions of Section 6 (1).
We also refer you to section 8 (2) of Act 449 on what happens when a member dies, resign or otherwise ceases to hold office.
On the matter of the PIAC replacement, we refer you to section 55 (6) of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act 2011, ACT 815 which provide that, ‘Members appointed to the Accountability Committee have security of tenure and unless otherwise provided for by law, or for medical reasons, may not be suspended, retired or removed from office’.
We’re perplexed about the National Executives’ ignorance of these provisions in the very laws they take consolation from.
The purported press release, has in our estimation, cast a dent on the knowledge and image of the GJA in the minds of right thinking Ghanaians and other stakeholders.
Our point is that, if the National Executives had complied with the provisions in article 15 (b) of the GJA constitution and consulted well with the National Council, this National disgrace would not have happened.
Respectfully, we call on the National Executive to immediately organize a National Council meeting in the interest of the GJA.
This is the time to rebuild the GJA in unity.
SIGNED
Maxwell Kudekor – Chairman – Eastern Region (Koforidua)
Larry Paa Kwasi Moses – Chairman – Brong Ahafo Region (Sunyani)
Yakubu Abdul Majeed – Chairman – Northern Region (Tamale)
William Nlanjerbor Jalulah – Chairman – Upper East ( Bolga)
Kingsley E. Hope – Chairman – Ashanti Region
Dzifa Emma Tetteh – Chairman – Tema Region
David Yarboi – Tetteh – Chairman- Central Region ( Cape Coast)