Mr Anthony Akoto-Ampaw, a Legal Practitioner, has called for the passage of the Broadcasting Law to prevent politicians from establishing more electronic media houses in the country. He said the way and manner in which politicians abuse the frequency acquisition process for their cronies had made most of the electronic media houses become partisan, a situation he thinks has the tendency to polarize the country further. Mr Akoto-Ampaw made the call when contributing to a roundtable discussion on the Criminal Offences Act 29 of 1960 (Law on Causing Fear and Panic) and Freedom of Speech in Accra. The day's discussion, initiated by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), was supported by the US based Freedom House to generate public debate following recent application of the law by the Police on Ghanaians, especially journalists. Mr Akoto-Ampaw called for the empowerment of the National Media Commission (NMC) to streamline broadcasting standards in the country. He noted that even though Ghanaians expected the NMC to perform better to improve journalistic and broadcasting standards, it lacked the needed resources to undertake its mandate. "You can pass the best laws but if the NMC is not well resourced it cannot perform well to promote responsible journalism in the country," he emphasised. Mr Akoto-Ampaw, who is also a member of the NMC, said the law of causing fear and panic was so vague that the Executive arm of government could use it to criminalise free speech in the country. He argued that criminalisation of media rights and free speech was not only a colonial legacy but also antiquated. Communication Minister Haruna Iddrisu at the end of the forum, called for appropriate recommendations to ensure journalists were held responsible for their actions with regard to statements they made or published. "We should not encourage a culture where people knowingly make statements which could cause fear and panic in the society," he stressed. Mr Iddrisu said journalists must be called to duty by ensuring they verified all the information and facts brought to them before publishing it in the media. Mr Ernest Kofi Abotsi, Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi and a Resource person, called for an amendment of Section 208 of Act 29 of the Criminal Offences Act of 1960 [the law on Causing Fear and Panic]. He explained that the amendment was a vital step to make a perfect transition to constitutional rule and solidify the space and foundation of the current democratic dispensation. Mr Abotsi said the existence of Act 29 could generate tensions and create circumstances of conflict and precautionary behaviour, with the overall effect undermining free speech and media rights in Ghana. Source: GNA