Mr. Francis Poku, Minister of National Security, has disclosed that the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) cells are virtually empty. He thus posited that Ghana was one of the very few countries in the world that could boast of inmate-free security cells. Stressing that his ministry did not believe in secrecy, he registered his regret that a Parliamentary sub-committee that vetted him last year upon his nomination by the President, was asked to do so in-camera.

He said he wished it were done on the general floor of the house. According to him, his outfit was very conscious of the rights of every individual in the country, and would not just go on a witch-hunting spree in the name of state security operations. The minister made the revelation in Accra yesterday, when he took his turn to address participants at the 5th Daily Express Breakfast Series. Mr. Poku observed that the whole world was moving towards openness, pointing out that his ministry had a legal department which constantly advised his office on the legalities or otherwise of every security operation.

One sure way of advancing democracy in the country, he noted, was to exhibit transparency in every sphere of government activities. “The BNI cells are empty. If anybody is to be arrested, there must be reason for it, and not to hide behind secrecy and anonymity. If you don’t see wrongful arrests around, it means we are being very careful. The general public is our witness,” he said. The minister opined further that transparency was one way of handling national, regional and sub-regional responsibilities, and called on the media practitioners to be equally transparent.

He lamented also that a number of newspapers had not been registered and therefore operated in secret, while their editors used fictitious names. He stated that even though those people were known to the security agencies, it was legally difficult to zero down on them. On the 2008 general elections, Mr. Poku hinted that though a number of people had alleged of plots in the offing to rig, the ‘complainants’ reneged when security agencies showed interest and called for proofs. He used the opportunity to caution journalists to refrain from publications that would amount to contempt of parliament.

“Any publication that goes to undermine the integrity of parliament should be condemned,” he said and urged journalists to feel free to walk into his office for clarification on any information they had. Contributing, the Interior Minister, Hon Albert Kan Dapaah conceded that the Ghanaian media was highly instrumental in fighting against the culture of silence in the country. He therefore called for a clear line of definition between government and national interest. Mr. Dapaah said while it was wrong for National Security to delve into arbitrariness, the media also needed to be circumspect in their reportage.

In a keynote address, Mr. Yoni Kulendi, a legal practitioner, appealed to journalists to pause for sober reflection when their duty clashed with the security of the state. Citing Article 84 of the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution, he pointed out that national security took precedence over journalistic ethics. He was delivering an address on ‘Journalistic Ethics vs. National Security and Interest: Which Should Come First?’ “There is always a red flag when it comes to national security. The rational for the limitation is that rights can only be enjoyed in a context of free society. Without a safe and secure society, all rights, including the freedom of the media, evaporates,” he noted.

According to Kulendi, even though it would be naïve to assume that security agencies always operated in the national interest, the essence of serving national interest would equally be defeated if journalists followed the ethics of their profession in a literal manner. Dr Tony Aidoo, a former deputy defence minister observed that malicious use of information always bred mistrust between government officials and media practitioners.

The Daily Express Breakfast Series is a monthly discussion platform put together for insightful debates and constructive discussions on national issues. Present at yesterday’s meeting were Nana Ohene Ntow, general secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, a former presidential running mate, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, MP for Tamale South constituency, Gabby Otchere Darko, Managing Editor, Statesman, and Frank Agyekum, government spokesperson on governance.