A PIECE OF MY MIND

Generally, Ghanafo), freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction.

In Ghana, per our 1992 constitution, the right to free speech is forever enshrined in unequivocal terms when it says: all persons shall have the right to: freedom of speech and expression, which shall include freedom of the press and other media.

That is why this morning I ask, based on recent developments: what in the world is going on in parliament? I mean, only yesterday, we were talking about that absurd, and unfortunate, not to mention comical suggestion that because we at class 91.3FM had spoken of the bad state in which the Naamoansa primary and JHS in Chuchuliga finds itself, the member of Parliament for the Builsa north constituency, James Agalga, considered that to mean we at class 91.3FM were trying to embarrass him and so he said he would sue us together with our correspondent. If there's any embarrassment there, it is the very idea that this member of parliament would even consider suing us over something that frivolous.

Firstly, Ghanafo), can you even imagine that? We're trying to shape society by calling attention to serious problems in different communities - and a law maker's sole reaction is to threaten to sue us - because we have embarrassed him. How hilarious is that? And secondly, knowing the law, did this member of Parliament seriously think that threatening us with it, especially when we are nowhere near the wrong end of it, would somehow make us afraid and not pursue the matter? In fact, now, e don spoil the matter. We shall pursue the Namoansa primary and JHS issue to its logical conclusion - whether or not he feels embarrassed. who cares about his embarrassment, once we are not unfairly targeting him but merely doing what is our work - and within the confines of the law and the tenets of our profession?

But set that aside, now, again from parliament, we have, this time, not just any member of parliament but the Right Honourable Speaker, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, trying to make the gall of journalists rise.

Yesterday, the Speaker of our Parliament, the people's Parliament, Prof Mike Oquaye, threatened members of the parliamentary press corps with sanctions if they leave the chamber to cover press conferences held by members of either side of the house while proceedings are ongoing. The stern threat by the speaker followed a complaint by the Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on the floor of the house.

Children of this great land, Ghana, in all this, while the press was being rebuked in this way and that, members of Parliament were never accosted in any way by the Right Honourable Speaker. But you ask yourself: who are those who hold the press conferences? Is it not the same members of Parliament? If you leave sugar around your house and ants gather as a result, do you blame the ants? If you leave your sardine open and unattended and a hungry cat comes to eat it up, would you blame the cat or your own self? These are the double standards that were exposed yesterday!

Let me ask Mr speaker this: if something massive were to be happening outside - God forbid, but let's say some bombing had occurred, for example, would the press then be expected to remain in the chamber, since, according to the speaker, parliamentary business was still ongoing, or to attempt covering it, at the risk of our lives, so we could even have some evidence, audio or video, on which to base investigations?

Is this not the same Speaker of Parliament who has excused himself, on a number of occasions, while parliamentary business has been going on, asking his first deputy to sit in his stead while he attends to dignitaries and other pertinent matters in his private quarters? And when this has been done, has the media not been invited to follow the speaker? So if the speaker himself has done this, within his tenure, on many occasions, what is he talking about? Are these not rather hypocritical ejaculations? Is the speaker saying he will not do such a thing ever again? Could he himself be in contempt of what he has given as a purported ruling in this regard?

If any media house is suspended or declared an entity non grata, this would be one of the times when the media would really have to act in solidarity. For me, I say that if Parliament goes ahead to enforce this and if any media house is ostracised, all media houses should also boycott Parliament. Yes, I said it. Ban us, we boycott you, simple! You can go through all your parliamentary proceedings. no media house will report anything. if that's what they want, people like me will also get together media houses and we shall see how things go. Two can play this game of cat and mouse.

I mean, politicians in Ghana, ya br3 mo! media people are being harassed by the police. Some have been attacked; others have been killed. Now parliament too wants to ride on our necks? Aaba! Weytin too be dis? Mr. speaker, come again na dis ruling de3, some way. We cooperate with Parliament to disseminate the right information, but the minute you try ordering us about and threatening us like an overbearing, cane-wielding teacher, that is where we draw the line. This will not hold and I repeat: if Parliament moves to enforce this, let every media house resist it by also boycotting parliament.

Why did the Right Honourable Speaker speak so aggressively to media people and totally ignore the very people who cause us to leave the chamber and pursue newsworthy stories - parliamentarians themselves, including the Right Honourable Speaker? They should give us a break, there are more pertinent matters to talk about - national issues of great concern - to be spending time on this non-starter.

You see, I'm trying to cool my temperature and calm myself down, but let me make it clear: media houses can do everything else and lose nothing if we don't report from Parliament. If Parliament thinks it can act like a big brother character who does whatever he pleases, just let us boycott Parliament's work for a week and we shall see who feels the pinch more. I think the verdict is out there, clearly, and Parliament should build consensus rather than try to take an entrenched position. In the end, there will be only one major loser in all this: and it is clear it will be Parliament. Let calm heads and sound minds prevail on this matter or else, Sanebaaaaa!

And finally, Right Honourable Speaker, do not speak to us media people as though we were some children. You may be an elderly man and we respect old age, but don't you dare assume that respecting your grey hair means you can run roughshod over us and have us fold our arms between our legs. If others will do that, we here will definitely not kowtow in that manner! Your demeanor and choice of words was patronising and rather insincere and we take serious exception to that line of rhetoric.

The work we do, in Parliament, is not paid for by Parliament. It is service to Mother Ghana. Let me remind the Speaker and all of Parliament about that.

The work of a journalist in Ghana is already very tedious: you work a lot and get paid very little; you put in killer hours just to produce a few stories or concepts; and when you are as intolerant of nonsense as some of us are and if you express it openly, you even become a target for many, especially politicians, putting your very security at risk. We already have all this wahala to deal with - so the Right Honourable Speaker should have thought twice before trying to add to that. Journalists naaa, y3 br3 dada na afei monso mo de mo ns3ms3m 3 b3 ha y3! Mini po n3? Look, if Parliament doesn't want us in its House, it is not only in Parliament that newsworthy happenings occur. I repeat: if Parliament wants to try the carrot and stick approach with us, let's boycott it and see how things go. Enough of all this gagging! We refuse to be muzzled! End of story! If you don't want us, we also don't want you. Finito! Ya br3 mo!

My name is Benjamin Akakpo and this is a piece of my mind, raw and unedited.