Affected Media Houses Must Sue T. B. Joshua's Church

Author's note: This piece was written on 9/5/2013. It is being posted today, because I was unable to do so on the day. Please read on:


If it is true that security men working for the private religious organisation of Pastor Temitope Balogun Joshua, the General Overseer of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations ( SCOAN), actually detained four journalists on their church's premises  on the 7th of May 2013, then it is important that the media houses that employ those four journalists,  sue Pastor T. B. Joshua's  church - for unlawful detention, abuse of their human rights,  and ask for exemplary damages  for the trauma they experienced:  as a result of the high-handed manner in which they were treated by those  SCOAN security men.


It is simply unacceptable that journalists in what is a democracy  can be treated in such cavalier fashion, by,  of all things,  being unlawfully  detained by a christian organisation's security men.


In all such circumstances, an assault on one journalist, is an assault on all journalists and press freedom in Ghana.


The leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), ought to ensure that  an example is set in this instance,  for all those who in future might want to follow the terrible example of T. B. Joshua's arrogant security men -  by taking the matter up and joining the media houses that employ the four journalists -  abused in such egregious  fashion - to sue the  Synagogue Church Of All Nations promptly in the law courts.


Ghanaian journalists play an important role in our democracy, by holding those in power accountable -   and giving voice to the voiceless:   as well as fighting for the rights of the marginalised in society.


Media professionals ought to  be able to go about their work daily,  without  fearing that if  manhandled,  their assailants will get away scot-free without facing any sanctions.


The media, which in a sense constitutes  a fourth branch of government,   acts as an effective  check against the abuse of  power,  by the  three arms of government under our constitution: the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.


The Ghanaian media is  a bulwark of freedom  that prevents the three arms of government from colluding to undermine the freedoms of Ghanaians.


In an open  society  like ours, nothing can justify assaulting journalists.


That is why the media houses that employ the four journalists unlawfully detained by security men working for Pastor T. B. Joshua's private religious  organisation, ought to sue the  Synagogue Church Of All Nations in the law courts promptly. A word to the wise...


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