A US-based Ghanaian lawyer and scholar, Prof Stephen Kwaku Asare, has commented on the ruling of the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on the 2021 petition brought against the Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Paul Adom-Otchere, regarding the purchase of Christmas decoration for the company.

In a post shared on Facebook on November 11, 2023, Prof Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, said that journalists should not be allowed to serve on boards of state institutions.

He indicated that journalists serving on public boards raise issues of ethics regarding their role as the fourth arm of government, whose duty is to check the executive and the two other branches of government.

“As CHRAJ punches Good for jingling with x’mas lights, it’s time to examine the ethics of media men serving on Public Boards.

“GOGO approves the NYT model and recommends that to the GJA and other media houses. Of course, government itself must not appoint media men to public boards,” he wrote.

About journalists who have been appointed to public boards:

Sakyi-Addo leads MDF board

Veteran journalist Kweku Sakyi-Addo is the board chairman for the 11-member board of the Minerals Development Fund, MDF.

MDF is a body created by a 2016 Act of Parliament (Act 912) with the primary aim of providing development projects for mining communities negatively impacted by the exploitation of their resources.

Sakyi-Addo is a former Joy FM and BBC journalist. He was still working at Accra-based Asaase Radio before his appointment to the MDF board.

Elizabeth Ohene leads SSNIT board

Elizabeth Akua Ohene, a veteran journalist turned politician, was appointed by Akufo-Addo to head the board of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

Ohene and a dozen other members were inaugurated last month by Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.

Sefa Kayi joins NPC board

Host of the Kokrokro morning show on Peace FM, Kwame Sefa Kayi, is currently serving on the board of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).

The board is chaired by Joe Addo-Yobo.

The chairman and other members were sworn into office at the NPA head office in Accra on August 6, 2021.

Other board members include Manuel Sawyyerr Esq., Clement Osei Amoako, Bernard Owusu and Dr Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah. NPA CEO, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and Diana Mogre are part of the board members.

Paul Adom-Otchere heads GACL

TV show host Paul Adom-Otchere was appointed board chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL).

The host of 'Good Evening Ghana' leads a seven-member GACL board which includes Mr Yaw Kwakwa (GACL Managing Director), Teye Adjrackor, Philomina Sam and Kwabena Mantey Jectey Nyarko, nominees of the President.

The others are Francis Kofi Nunoo from the Ministry of Transport; and Group Captain Cervase Wienaa.

Adom-Otchere had previously served as a member of the board of the National Communications Authority (NCA) during the Akufo-Addo government's first term.

About the CHRAJ investigation:

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has issued a report on a 2021 petition brought against the Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Paul Adom-Otchere.

CHRAJ said despite not finding evidence of procurement breaches as alleged by petitioner, Sacut Amenga-Etego, in the matter of purchase of Christmas inspirations at the Kotoko International Airport (KIA), they found that some actions by Adom-Otchere amounted to abuse of his office and meddling in the affairs of the company.

CHRAJ's 55-page report said it was wrong for the Board Chair to be “requesting for invoices and his appearances in the media in respect of matters involving the GACL of which he is the Board Chairman does not auger well for good corporate governance.

“We recommend that the respondent should restrain himself from interfering in the work of management and restrict himself purely to his prescribed functions as Board Chairman,” it further said.

What the petitioner said:

The petitioner alleged that Adom-Otchere had, among others, failed to invite at least three vendors to submit bids for the procurement of the Christmas trees.

He added that the total value of the decorations is above the threshold of requesting quotations from vendors and that the call for bids ought to have been advertised in newspapers, according to the Public Procurement Act, Act 663.

Amega-Etego also argued that there was a breach of procurement when the cost of GH₵118,000.00, was divided, so it stayed within the GHC 100,000.00 threshold for price quotation.

The report said none of his reliefs sought including that Adom-Otchere be referred to the Attorney-General for prosecution could be granted.

BAI/OGB



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