Fallout from Ghana@50 Chairman's remark

DUOSE GROWLS OVER ATTACKS
...'I did not call for killing of journalists'
Posted: The Chronicle |Fri, 30 Oct 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu & George Frimpong

The Chairman of the Ghana@50 Commission, Justice Isaac Douse has told The Chronicle that he has no evil intension against any journalist in Ghana, and that his recent comment that Ghanaian journalists are overly crtitical on public office holders because they are not killed as it happens in other parts of the world, was reported out of contest.

Justice Duose, who invited these reporters to his office to express concern over the report, was also not happy with an editorial by The Chronicle on the issue, which according to him, sought to create the impression that he wanted people to take the law into their own hands and kill Journalists in Ghana.

Justice Duose was quoted as saying - “Rwanda was caused by the press and if the press wants Rwanda to happen in this country, they will get it.

Fortunately for them, in this country, people don't kill Journalists, so they are going on.” Though he admits saying the things attributed to him, the Chairman of the Commission said the import of the message he wanted to convey to the media was taken out of contest.

According to him, it was unfortunate for some media houses to create the impression that he was advocating for violence against journalists. Justice Duose, who is an Appeals Court Judge, told The Chronicle that he respects fundamental human rights and the tenets of democracy, and would therefore not do anything to undermine these values.

“I will not be happy if Journalists are killed because it is part of my obligation to protect the rights of Journalists”, he said, adding “I unreservedly apologize to Journalists, any individual or group of persons who may feel offended by those comments I made”, stressing that he did not have the slightest intention to cause disaffection among the media.

“The comments were not made to invite people to kill Journalists”, he emphasised. This, according to him, is due to the fact that both Judges and Journalists are enjoined to protect human rights and life.

Justice Duose's alleged comments on journalists and the Rwanda factor came after the former Chief of Staff who was also the Chairman of the National Planning Committee of the country's 50th independence anniversary celebrations, Mr. Kwadwo Okyere Mpiani raised concern about the way people express suspicions against public officials, when he appeared before the Commission recently.

“I hope the press which is leading the campaign of vilification in this country has heard you well. As I sit here, they have started vilifying me.

I'm going to sit here just for a short while but they have already started pulling me down,” myjoyonline quoted him as saying.