The Board of Directors of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has elected a new Chairman of the Board and appointed a new Executive Director for the organisation. The decisions were made at the Board’s two-day meeting in Accra, held on January 8 and 9, 2014. At the board level, Mr. Edetaen Ojo from Nigeria has been elected as the new Chairman. He replaces Ms. Soyata Maiga from Mali, whose tenure as board Chair has come to an end. Mr. Ojo, who is the Executive Director of the Nigeria-based Media Rights Agenda (MRA), is one of Africa’s leading experts on free expression, media development and access to information. Mr. Ojo is a board member of a number of local, regional and international human rights and media development organisations including the Uganda-based African Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) and the International Media Support (IMS) based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Until June 2013, he was the Convenor (Chair) of the governing council of the Canada-based organisation, IFEX, the world’s biggest network of free expression advocacy organisation.       At the management level, the Board has appointed Mr. Sulemana Braimah as the new Executive Director of the organisation following the retirement of Prof. Kwame Karikari who has been the Executive Director of the organisation for the past 16 years. Mr. Braimah has tremendous experience in free expression and media development issues and has participated in and presented papers at several international conferences on free expression and media development. In the last two years, Mr. Braimah has served as a reviewer of the World Press Freedom Index, an annual ranking of countries on press freedom, conducted by the US-based organisation, Freedom House.  He currently serves on the Governing Council and the Executive Committee of IFEX. Mr. Braimah joined the MFWA in 2010 and until his appointment, was the Deputy Executive Director of the organisation. Prior to joining the MFWA, he worked as news editor of The Chronicle Newspaper in Ghana, and part-time lecturer at the Africa University Colleague of Communications. The Board highly commended Prof. Kwame Karikari for his exemplary leadership of the MFWA for the past 16 years. It also commended the organisation for its tremendous efforts in promoting free expression in West Africa, particularly its work on safety of journalists and media development in Mali and Cote d’Ivoire during the political crisis and in the ongoing democratic recovery processes in those countries. The board issued a resolution at the end of its meeting in which it expressed concern about the falling standards of professionalism in media practice in the West Africa region. The Board also expressed deep concern about the serious challenges posed by extremism, terrorism and drug trafficking to media freedom and practice in West Africa and called on national governments, regional bodies and civil society groups in West Africa to work collaboratively to address the problem,” the resolution stated. Below is the full resolution adopted by the Board:Resolution By the Board of Directors of Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)At its Meeting held in Accra, Ghana, on January 8 & 9, 2014.On January 8 and 9, 2014, the Board of Directors of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) met in Accra, Ghana, to discuss and review a number of strategic issues relating to the operations of the organisation as well as the broader issues of media freedom, freedom of expression and media development in the West African sub-region.The meeting was presided over by the Vice Chairman of the Board, Mr. Edetaen Ojo, who is also the Executive Director of the Nigeria-based Media Rights Agenda. At the end of the two-day meeting, the Board unanimously adopted and issued this resolution: The Board welcomes the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2013 of a Resolution on the Safety of Journalists and the issue of Impunity, and for proclaiming November 2, as International Day to End Impunity for crimes against journalists.  The Board  commends the Governments of Nigeria, Ghana and Mali for co-sponsoring the resolution along with other countries and urges the three countries to spearhead efforts to ensure the implementation of the resolution within the West Africa region, in Africa and internationally. In the spirit of the UN Resolution referenced above, and the principles of the ECOWAS Protocol on Good Governance and Democracy, the Board urges ECOWAS leaders and relevant organs of ECOWAS to ensure the enforcement of the decisions of the  ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in order to discourage acts of impunity within the region. The Board further calls on the ECOWAS Commission to speed up the processes for the adoption of uniform regional legal frameworks on the right to freedom of expression and the right to information. The Board recognises and highlights the importance of internet penetration, affordability and access, for the overall development of the region. Accordingly, the Board calls on national governments and regional bodies in West Africa to prioritise investment in ICTs and work collaboratively to promote internet freedom in the region. Further to the above, the Board also welcomes the adoption by the UN General Assembly in December 2013 of a Resolution on “Right to Privacy in the Digital Age” wherein the General Assembly called on States “to review their procedures, practices and legislation regarding the surveillance of communications, their interception and the collection of personal data, including mass surveillance, interception and collection, with a view to upholding the right to privacy by ensuring the full and effective implementation of all their obligations under international human rights law.”  The Board called on West African nations to give full effect to the Resolution. The Board remains extremely concerned about the serious challenges posed by extremism, terrorism and drug trafficking to media freedom and practice in West Africa and calls on national governments and regional bodies in West Africa to work collaboratively to address the problem. The Board, on behalf of the MFWA, pledges its support for such efforts through collaborative activities, partnerships and other forms of interventions as may be required to effectively respond to these problems. In the face of the numerous challenges to free expression in the region, the Board commends the Secretariat of the MFWA for its tremendous efforts in promoting free expression in West Africa, particularly its work on safety of journalists and media development in Mali and Cote d’Ivoire during the political crisis and in the ongoing democratic recovery processes in those countries. The Board reiterates its deep concern about the falling standards of professionalism in media practice in many parts of the region and calls on media professional bodies and associations as well as the media community in the region as a whole, to develop and implement effective self-regulatory mechanisms to improve professional standards. The Board unanimously elects Mr. Edetaen Ojo (Nigeria) as the new Chair of the MFWA Board, replacing Ms. Soyata Maiga (Mali) whose tenure has come to an end. The Board also appoints Mr. Sulemana Braimah, as Executive Director of the MFWA, following the retirement of Prof. Kwame Karikari as Executive Director of the organisation. The Board highly commends Prof. Kwame Karikari for his exemplary leadership of the organisation for the past 16 years. The Board also commends Ms.  Soyata Maiga, for her contribution to the organisation as Chair of the Board over the years. The Board hereby approves the work plan of the organisation for 2014. Adopted in Accra, Ghana, this Thursday, the 9th day of January, 2014.

The striking cocoa head-carriers at the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) Commodity Village at Apowa have agreed to resume work on Monday, January, 13, 2014 after reaching an agreement with their employers and COCOBOD. However, the head-carriers gave a month’s ultimatum to COCOBOD and labour companies to fulfill all conditions reached under the agreement or they would lay down their tools again. According to the carriers, the labour companies in the presence of COCOBOD have agreed to pay them a daily wage of GH¢35.00, register them for social security contributions and health insurance as well provide them safety wares and First Aid kits. Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the two-day crunch meeting at the premises of COCOBOD at Kadjebiri, one of the leaders of the carriers, Nana Kwabena Ackon Ansah said both sides have reached an amicable conclusion.Among conditions to be improved is the provision of potable water for the carriers and transportation to convey workers to and from Takoradi and other destinations. He said before the carriers went on holidays and broke off into the ‘strike’, they were paid GH¢18.00 which was later increased to GH¢20.00. “We were not provided with the things that were agreed upon now, not even drinking water.”  The impasse between the cocoa carriers and their employers at Apowa commodity, which started before the Christmas holidays has resulted in the grounding of over 1,500 trucks loaded with cocoa. The trucks, which arrived from the hinterland last December still have their loads unpacked, making it difficult for drivers to return to the bush to evacuate more of the produce. At the commodity village, the drivers welcomed the resumption of work by the carriers but said it had been of a great cost to them and their employers.

Four persons were shot dead while a fifth is in critical condition after a musketry went off accidentally during the outdooring of a new chief for Ekumfi Esarkyir in the Central region on Saturday. Sad, tearful faces replaced the joyous countenances that had greeted the colourful procession of Nana Essel VI sitting in a palanquin and responding to excited subjects when one Anthony Forson, said to be an experienced and popular musketry shooter in the community tried to fire a musketry. It failed to fire.The Daily Graphic learned that after the gun failed to shoot, Forson adjusted and reloaded it, however, before he could pull the trigger, the gun went off killing four persons and injuring one.He is in custody with the Saltpond police and could face the charge of either murder or manslaughter.A 10-year-old boy, Paa Kwesi; Kwadwo, a shop assistant, 20; Paa Joe, a student and another person from a nearby community who had come to witness the outdooring were all killed while Maame Araba, a student who was also injured is on admission at the Saltpond Government Hospital.The bodies have been deposited at the hospital.Forson, a citizen of Ekumfi Esarkyir is popular in the town for his skills at firing of musketry on festive occasions was said to have travelled home from Accra where he is based to spice the outdooring with his skills, a feat he is said to have performed for many years.The incident caused the people to rush through the outdooring ceremony at the community centre after which they retreated to their homes, with others discussing the incident on the streets. Meanwhile the Saltpond Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) David Ashong said Forson's gun was registered and that he had a permit to use the gun. However, he said a docket would be sent to the Attorney General’s for advice on the case before he would be put before court.

  American President, Barack Obama, is expected to train more Ghanaians through his Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) programme this year. This follows several applications that have been put in by young Ghanaians to participate in this year’s programme scheduled to take off by June or July and targeted at 500 professionals in sub-Saharan Africa. The disclosure was made during a telephone conference on YALI organised by the United States government and participated in by some African countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, DR Congo, Angola, Rwanda and Senegal last Thursday. It was also in response to a question posed by the Daily Graphic on the number of young Ghanaians who had applied to take part in the programme since applications opened in the latter part of 2013. Proffering an answer to that enquiry, Shannon Green, the acting Senior Director for Global Engagement at the National Security Council of the United States, and one of two officials who addressed the conference, said a significant number of Ghanaians had applied, although she could not readily provide the exact number. She stated that already, over 40,000 applications had been received from Africa, while the online application would be due on January 27 and determination of the successful applicants done in early April. Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Shamima Muslim, both Ghanaian journalists, and Kofi Asante of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) are among some young Ghanaians that have participated in the YALI programme since it began in 2010. The YALI programme According to Shannon Green, the YALI programme is meant for a high echelon of young leaders already making an impact in their different fields and who are committed to Africa. “We are looking for young leaders who have demonstrated an impact, have positive attitudes and with commitment to return to Africa with their skills,” she said. Successful applicants for the YALI fellowship would participate in a six-week academic programme at a United States university in one of three study areas, Business and Entrepreneurship, Civil Leadership and Public Management. After that, they would have the opportunity to do an eight-week internship in the public, private and non-profit sectors and also attend a presidential summit in Washington DC to meet President Obama and leaders from the private, public and non-profit sectors.   YALI and US Policy Mr Grant T. Harris, Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for African Affairs on the National Security Staff of the White House, who also addressed the conference, said already, processing of 7,000 applications for the YALI Fellowship, which was at the heart of US policy, had been completed. “We see engaging young African leaders as critical to everything that we want to achieve with African governments. Engaging young leaders is absolutely essential to strengthening democratic institutions and supporting economic growth and prosperity and to advancing peace and security,” he stated. Mr Harris said “Engaging young leaders is at the heart of US policy towards Africa. Engaging young leaders is a personal commitment of President Obama. So we see the Young African Leaders Initiative as an important way to be connected to and to support young leaders of every background and every country, and through that, we want to grow this programme; we want to make sure that it is as strong as possible, that it is informed by what young leaders are working to achieve.” He said what informed the YALI programme was a yearning from young leaders across Africa for support in developing specific skills and the desire to network and to meet other young African leaders to know what others were doing. Writer’s email: [email protected]