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Charges against UTV invaders woefully minimal – GJA, PRINPAG, GIBA
Mr Dwumfuor briefing the press Photo Victor A. Buxton
Leadership of three media unions have described as woefully minimal, charges imposed on individuals that invaded the studios of UTV to disrupt its late night entertainment show, Universal Showbiz.
The unions include the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) and the Private Newspaper and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG).
The individuals were convicted and fined GH¢2,400 each for conspiracy to commit crime and rioting by an Achimota Magistrate Court on Tuesday.
Addressing a joint press conference in Accra on Wednesday in reaction to the punishment, the three unions said the charge was not enough to serve as deterrent to people who attack journalists.
Led by the President of the GJA, Mr Albert Dwumfour said the charges were minimal and soft-handed.
According to the GJA President, the charge of conspiracy to commit crime and rioting, which formed the basis for the imposition of the fine on the suspects by the court, was not far-reaching and thorough enough.
He doubted why charges including unlawful entry, rioting, rioting with weapons, assault and battery, causing harm and threat of harm were not preferred against them.
That, he said could result in the imposition of stiffer punishments and deter others from attacking journalists.
He appealed to the judiciary to consider offences against the media as aggravating with the tendency to put fear in the media, leading to self-censorship and promotion of culture of silence.
The associations, Mr Dwumfour stated, would consider supporting the affected members to either urge the prosecution to consider appealing against the sentence or criticise the decision of the court.
While condemning the recent attack on the Citi TV/FM journalist by supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Odododiodoo constituency, he called on the police to act swiftly and arrest the culprits to ensure they face the law.
The GIBA President, Mr Cecil Thomas Sunkwa-Mills, also called on media organisations to provide appropriate protective gears to journalists in order to guard their safety in line of duty.
According to Mr Sunkua-Mills, protective gears such as helmets, bulletproof vests, gas masks, or first aid kits would protect their staff and
ensure they were free from attacks especially heading into the general elections in 2024.
Mr Sunkwa-Mills indicated that, journalists must also take their personal security into their own hands and stay away from danger while carrying out their assignments.
“Let us focus on in-house safety. It is important to take personal responsibility by using appropriate gears,” he stated.
He also asked journalists to report threats and harassment to their organisation, police, local authorities and relevant press freedom organisations.
The Acting (Ag) Executive Secretary for PRINPAG, Mr Jeorge Wilson Kingson, said the fine was small and fell short of serving its intended purpose of deterring miscreants from repeating such acts.
PRINPAG, he noted, was committed to the protection of journalists and the safeguarding of media freedom in Ghana, adding that “we stand united in our resolve to promote a society that respects and upholds the rights of media personnel
By Michael D. Abayateye
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NHIA set to boost its cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in partnership with a leading private cybersecurity solutions provider in Ghana, CyberHawk Limited, is advancing the Authority’s digital infrastructure to ensure seamless operations.
This is to safeguard the Authority’s digital technologies and maintain the trust of active members of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
In this context, the NHIA Management Information System (MIS) Directorate in the Head Office, on February 11, 2024, launched a three-day brainstorming session on the organization’s cybersecurity enhancement agenda.
The MIS Directorate Ag. Director, Mr. Daniel Blankson explained that the collaborative meeting aimed to scrutinize the NHIA’s Information Technology architecture, identifying potential risks and gapsto enhance its cybersecurity posture.
“By leveraging CyberHawk Limited’s expertise, the NHIA seeks to fortify its defenses against cyber threats, protecting sensitive information and maintaining the trust of its members.”
Mr. Blankson applauded the synergy between the two organizations and underscored the Authority’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to drive its mission forward.
The Head of Information Security and Standards Unit, in the MIS Directorate, Mr. Ebenezer Hooper, highlighted the Authority’s significant milestone on the digital transformation journey.
According to him, the NHIA is actively engaged in fully adopting and implementing modern digital systems to improve its operations.
He said, “The three-day brainstorming meeting will culminate in the development of a robust IT infrastructure, as well as strategic plans to translate security implementations into tangible IT cost savings for the organization.”
“There is the need to form a steering committee or IT advisory committee, operated under the Board, so that they can pay more attention in protecting the huge IT investment while ensuring cyber security-related policies are well protected,” he added.
The Project Manager of CyberHawk Limited, Mr. Chetan Narayana Murthy, lauded the collaboration and anticipated that it would empower the NHIA to implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures.
According to him, “This is a huge project that will greatly benefit the NHIA by implementing robust cybersecurity measures, safeguarding their systems, and ultimately protecting the sensitive information of NHIA members and healthcare providers.”
A Senior Manager of IT infrastructure, Mr. David Asare Addo, and his colleague, a Senior Manager of Applications, Mr. Enock Afanyi, with the MIS Directorate, gave an overview of the NHIA’s current technological landscape.
Present at the meeting were representatives from the Claims, Membership and Regional Operations (MRO), Research, Policy, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RPME), Corporate Affairs, the Audit, Administration, and Human Resource Directorates.
Story By : Vivian Arthur
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
