Journalists who cover proceedings in the country’s Parliament are threatening an indefinite boycott of activities of the House over some new security measures introduced by the Public Affairs Department.<\/p>\n
The acting Director of Parliament\u2019s Public Affairs Department, Kate Addo, issued a circular which prevents\u00a0journalists \u00a0from accessing MPs’ offices at the Job 600.<\/p>\n
Per the new directive, journalists wanting to access Job 600 would have to seek clearance from the Public Affairs Department before being allowed into the building.<\/p>\n
But some journalists have described the directive as offensive and unfortunate after efforts by the leadership of the Parliamentary Press Corps to reverse the directive reportedly failed.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Citi News<\/strong> after Friday\u2019s proceedings, some journalists insisted that they may be forced to stop covering Parliament.<\/p>\n Journalists angry<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIt is very unfortunate; we are looking at a public affairs department that is supposed to serve as a link between the members of the parliamentary press corps and Parliament. We are here representing our various media houses, I\u2019m not here working for Parliament and when Parliament Public Affairs makes it difficult for me to do my work then it\u2019s really an issue for us to deal with.\u201d<\/p>\n He lamented that\u00a0\u201cIf you go to the Job 600 security entrance, you are told to get a clearance form from the head of public affairs before you can access that building.”<\/p>\n “I only go there to do interviews, I don\u2019t go there to hassle anybody for anything so I don\u2019t just understand why the Public Affairs should even come out with that statement to frustrate us from doing our job. It is very unfortunate and does not auger well for journalistic practices and it must be withdrawn.\u00a0We\u2019ve been disrespected for too long and we need to show them that we also have some power that we can exert,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Another one said \u201cwhat is Parliament hiding at Job 600?. What is it at the Job 600 that allows any other person apart from Journalists including Press corps members to enter Job 600?\u201d<\/p>\n He noted that they had been told that ID cards would\u00a0be provided them but that is yet to be done.<\/p>\n \u201c…So if journalists who operate from Parliament haven\u2019t received those ID cards and a fiat has been issued by someone that nobody can enter Job 600 unless that person is given some form of permission; is this not a form of difficulty\u00a0on our ability to perform?\u201d<\/p>\n Press corps secretary<\/strong><\/p>\n Speaking to Citi News<\/strong>, the Secretary of Parliamentary Press Corps, Stephen Odoi Larbi, said they will meet with the leadership of the department on Tuesday to iron out the issue.<\/p>\n He however noted that such directive \u201cis not targeting members of the Press Corps\u201d but their only problem is that they are yet to receive the ID card.<\/p>\n \u201cThe main memo wasn\u2019t targeting members of the Parliamentary Press corps but once the cards have not been issued to us, it means that we also have to submit ourselves through that process. But it\u2019s so frustrating because assuming the acting director of Public Affairs is not in, then who will sign the clearance form?\u201d<\/p>\n Minority raises issue on the floor of Parliament<\/strong><\/p>\n Meanwhile the rising tension in Parliament over the controversial directive forced Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu on Thursday, to raise the matter on the floor of Parliament, after threats by journalists to boycott a press conference the minority called on the Komenda Sugar Factory.<\/p>\n However, the Speaker of Parliament said \u201cI\u2019m not aware of that. No one has brought that to my attention as the Speaker of this House.”<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Godwin A. Allotey\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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