Ranking Member on the Communications Committee of Parliament, Sam George has described a directive by the Speaker of Parliament to the parliamentary press corps as an act of censorship that the media must fight against.

Speaking on Joy Fm’s Top Stories on Wednesday, the Ningo Prampram MP indicated that although the Prof Mike Oquaye has the prerogative to issue directives, it must not be arbitrary, capricious or with prejudice.

“He [Prof Oquaye] is not in the position to determine what deems fit for the media’s editorial.

“This amounts to censorship, this is an attempt to use the executive power to legislate what should be your [the media’s] editorial content and I think the media must not accept it,” he stressed.

The Majority leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on the floor of the House today complained about journalists assigned to cover proceedings leaving the chamber to cover a press conference organsied by an NDC MP while the debate on the President’s State of the Nation Address was ongoing. 

In response to the complaint, the Speaker then threatened to revoke the press accreditation of media personnel that leaves the chamber while proceedings are in session to cover the press conferences held by either side of the House.

Mr George is of the view that Prof Oquaye could have prevented the current commotion if he had taken more time to engage legislators and the media to find a more suitable solution to the issue than giving an outright proclamation.

“A middle ground should have been found before a public pronouncement of that nature,” he stressed.

He added: “The Speaker should have given general comment and taken his time to reflect on the matter than giving a far-reaching consequence of revoking the accreditation of a media house to Parliament.”

The Ranking Member further denied claims that the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu supported the position of the Majority Leader and the pronouncement of the Speaker.

“My leader did not endorse the position raised by the Majority leader, and I am stating it emphatically because I was in the chamber.”