Government Can?t Appoint Officials Of State Owned-media Organisations

The Supreme Court has ruled that it is the responsibility of the National Media Commission and not the government to appoint Chairmen, other board members and chief executives of all state-owned media organisations.

The court by a unanimous decision therefore declared as null and void the appointment of Chairmen, other members of governing bodies and chief executives of state-owned Media made after 1992.

The seven-member panel, chaired by Mr Justice E.K. Wiredu, ruled that those appointments made after the coming into force of the Fourth Republican Constitution of 1992 were in contravention of Article 168 of the constitution,which deals with the appointment of board members of state-owned media.

The article states that "the National Media Commission (NMC) shall appoint the chairmen and other members of the governing bodies of public corporations managing the state-owned media."

The court's ruling was contained in a judgement delivered in a case in which the Media Commission in 1997, filed a writ against the Attorney-General claiming that the Government acted unconstitutionally by making such appointments because it contravened the Freedom and Independence of the Media as enshrined in the constitution.The Commission therefore averred that those appointments be declared null and void.

The media organisations are the Ghana News Agency (GNA), New Times Corporation (NTC), Graphic Corporation, now Graphic Communications Group Limited and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC). The other members of the panel were Mrs Justice Joyce Bamford-Addo, Mr Justice A.K.B. Ampiah, Mr Justice E.D.K. Adjabeng, Mr Justice George Acquah, Mr Justice William Atuguba and Ms Justice Sophia Akuffo.