Marking Afenyo-Markin’s Major in the Minors

Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Caucus in Parliament, is a desperate man seeking to undress the media for not helping him to wear his title.

He openly confronts some journalists and media houses recently, almost swallowing them for not hallowing him as the ‘Majority Leader’ in Parliament.

But on this motion, the Efutu Member of Parliament (MP) is absolutely out of order, and, happily, his targets of attack have been resolute and unruffled.

If Afenyo-Markin, a lawyer and lawmaker, finds it vexatious or grievous that journalists or media houses are denigrating his status by not addressing him as ‘Majority Leader’, he may rush to court and speedily secure an injunction against the unrepentant lot, or hurl them to the Privileges Committee of Parliament, or file a complaint against them at the National Media Commission (NMC), or exercise his constitutional right to rejoinder, or sue them for defamation.

Instead of ranting, the Leader of the NPP Caucus in Parliament must take counsel in the sages thus: “Action speaks louder than words”!

Confused script

In the first of two confrontations with journalists and media houses, Afenyo-Markin, while addressing the parliamentary press corps after the Speaker’s announcement of four vacant seats in Parliament, reprimands Joy FM, saying: “You people are known for a lot of mischief”.

He then proceeds to fire salvos indiscriminately: “Joy News, your role as a media house is to help our democracy. Joy is becoming notorious. Joy FM is becoming notorious for misinforming and doing mischief. Yesterday, they were quick to say that there is now a Minority Leader and a Majority Leader. I will not take any of that”.

By mixing up Joy FM and Joy News, it is obvious that either the learned man does not know the difference between the two or he is so incoherent in laying his charge.

I appreciate Afenyo-Markin’s knowledge of the law but I pardon his ignorance of the media, believing that whether he cites Joy FM or Joy News, so long as there is “Joy”, his discomfort is headlined.

But the lawyer and lawmaker ought to know that in the bosom of the 1992 Constitution, particularly Article 162(4), it does not lie in his powers, even as the Leader of the NPP Caucus in Parliament, to control or harass journalists and media houses for their editorial opinions and views.

For the avoidance of doubt, Article 162(4) provides unambiguously (without requiring the invocation of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court for interpretation): “Editors and publishers of newspapers and other institutions of the mass media shall not be subject to control or interference by Government, nor shall they be penalised or harassed for their editorial opinions and views, or the content of their publications” (emphasis mine).

While calling out the Joy brands and urging them that he doesn’t really care if they go ahead to do anything to destroy his own brand, Afenyo-Markin firmly asserts his rights: “I will say it; you can go and bash me. But I will assert my right. It’s my bona fide”.

He, however, fails to appreciate that asserting his rights may not oust the rights of others, and that the reign of his rights may not rein in the rights of others.

That is not to suggest that journalists and media houses are above reproach and cannot be called to order; or Afenyo-Markin does not have the right to criticise Joy (whether FM or News).

But exercising such right via confrontation, and insisting that journalists and media houses (who also have rights and duty to tell the story) must do his bidding is clear harassment and interference, in my humble opinion.

Rejoinder is a constitutional right, but under Article 162(6), although media houses are obliged to publish rejoinder from aggrieved persons, if any, the Constitution does not contemplate confrontation and intimidation as pathways to that end.

Call for remarking?

In his quest to demonstrate that the evildoing of the Joy brands is crystal, Afenyo-Markin directs them to other media houses for professional edification.

“City FM does it well; Okay FM does it well; Peace FM does it well…. There are other media houses; they express their opinions but they do the right thing….”

However, barely two weeks later, in what will affirm his incoherent expression of grievance, Afenyo-Markin, after a Supreme Court ruling, invades a live television reportage by Channel One (also reporting for Citi FM, a media house he had earlier acclaimed as “does it well”) to protest against the reporter’s reference to him as the Leader of the NPP Caucus in Parliament.

“Stop misreporting. I am the Majority Leader…. Say it. You’ve been saying it [Leader of NPP Caucus] consistently, and I’ve been correcting you that the court has pronounced; stop describing me as Leader of NPP Caucus. You should know better,” he tells the Citi FM / Channel One reporter, as his right hand conducts his ruffled demeanour.

In law, to approbate and reprobate (or vice versa) is deemed to be vice that may lead one to ‘hell’, but in Scripture, repentance is deemed to be virtue that may lead one to heaven.

Either way, the admonition of Alexander the Great, the powerful and famous King of ancient Macedonia, is quite profound:

“How should a man be capable of grooming his own horse, or of furbishing his own spear and helmet, if he allows himself to become unaccustomed to tending even his own person, which is his most treasured belonging?”

The crux of the matter

Afenyo-Markin is upset with some journalists and media houses for either not addressing him as ‘Majority Leader’ or calling him the Leader of the NPP Caucus in Parliament.

Indeed, before going to the Supreme Court to secure an injunction against the Speaker’s announcement, during the pendency of the substantive case in court, and after the ruling on same by the Supreme Court, it is not erroneous to address him as Leader of the NPP Caucus in Parliament or even as the Efutu MP.

So, he cannot compel journalists and media houses to clothe him with titles he prefers to wear, and if he feels aggrieved, he can only trek the righteous path to seek redress.

It is worthy of note that in the case of Citi FM / Channel One, the reporter, even in the face of intimidation and harassment, offers Afenyo-Markin the microphone to express his divergent views and dissenting opinion as the media are enjoined to do under Article 163 of the 1992 Constitution.

It is also gratifying to note that in both instances of confrontation, the reporters do not flinch, as they keep their composure to do their job.

But for the intimidation and hostility in the case of Joy FM / Joy News, Afenyo-Markin would have scored high marks for allowing the reporter to proceed with his question.

The intrigues 

It is intriguing that Afenyo-Markin does not have any problem with his own colleagues addressing him as ‘Leader’.

Amusingly, as the Efutu MP is vehemently chastising Joy FM / Joy News for not addressing him as ‘Majority Leader’, his colleague MP who calls the Joy reporter to ask his question, addresses him as “Leader”.

The MP for Agona West, Cynthia Morrison, responding to a question on GHOne regarding her purported stepping down as independent parliamentary candidate, said: “It is not true. My ‘Leader’ said he’s spoken to the media; I don’t know which media it is….”

Perhaps, it is time to serve Afenyo-Markin an injunction from the Supreme Counsel of Jesus Christ in Matthew 7:3-5:

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye” (KJV).

It is also fascinating to observe that Afenyo-Markin declares ‘no confrontation’ with National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs in the Chamber of Parliament, not even to secure his ‘Majority Leader’ seat.

But he eagerly launches confrontation with journalists and media houses in the public square to secure his ‘Majority Leader’ title. Huh!

Again, whilst the Leader of the NPP Caucus in Parliament is sprinting to the Supreme Court in the interest of Cynthia Morrison and others amid firing of salvos at journalists and media houses, supporters of the independent candidate and the NPP in Agona West are firing gunshots at each other, causing fear and panic in the constituency.

Obviously, there are deep cracks in the NPP and what Afenyo-Markin must confront are the major cracks in his party, not the minor issues in the media.

And per my assessment of his commitment to majoring in the minors in the matters discussed herein, his is a failed script.

Writers Email: [email protected] / The writer is the General Secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association and Communications Lecturer at Wisconsin International University College, Ghana