The Executive Director of the Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA), Sule Brimah\u00a0has labeled Ghana\u2019s Parliament as the “biggest institutional failure” in the country.<\/p>\n
His statement follows comments made by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrissu that\u00a0the media has largely contributed to the\u00a0increased corruption perception Ghana.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”ICIBhvBmtmlgmhCKNR5RplfF8T8YqY7x”]Mr Iddrisu while making a contribution on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, argued that some misleading and inaccurate reports by the media has fueled perceptions that Ghana has become a very corrupt country.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe media has a role to play as watchdogs but they must report accurately. They must crosscheck their facts because they have contributed to the increased perception of the existence or nonexistence of corruption…They have a role to expose it [corruption] and they should do so courageously but they must crosscheck their facts because they contribute directly or indirectly to the formation of facets about it,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
But, speaking on Eyewitness News<\/strong> on Tuesday, Sule Brimah\u00a0disagreed with the MP’s submission.<\/p>\n He argued that across the globe, the media is not perfect therefore, media practitioners in Ghana cannot be blamed for the growing perception about corruption in the country.<\/p>\n “We all know about the many proven scandals, not allegations but proven scandals and I don\u2019t think that he [Haruna Iddrisu] is saying that it is the media that created these scandals, SADA, GYEEDA, SUBAH or Woyome?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Mr. Brimah noted that such statements from MPs about the nation’s media is worrying, adding that “in our Fourth Republican Democracy, if you ask me I will say the biggest institutional failure has been our Parliament.\u201d<\/p>\n He pointed out that although Parliament has been mandated by the 1992 constitution to be the watchdog over the executive arm of government, it has failed woefully in executing its duties.<\/p>\n He therefore advised the MPs to desist from blaming the media for government’s failure to tackle issues of corruption.<\/p>\n