IFEJ demands clarification over GJA Journalist of the Year Award
The Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ), is demanding for clarification on the award of the Journalist of the Year honour to investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, from the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA)
In a letter signed by its President, Lloyd Evans, addressed to the General Secretary of the GJA, Dave Agbenu and copied to the Chairman of the National Media Commission, Chairman of the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee of the GJA, the Secretary of the 2016 Awards Committee and the media, IFEJ, which is an affiliate of the GJA, says it has reservations on this year’s Journalist of the Year Award 2016 conferred on Mr Anas Aremeyaw Anas of the Tiger Eye PI.
“The Institute will therefore like to know from the leadership of the GJA and the 2016 Awards Committee whether Mr Aremeyaw Anas won the award in his capacity as a journalist or as an investigator for the Tiger Eye PI.
Again the Institute will like to know what consideration went into the determination of declaring him the ultimate winner for this year,” the letter said.
According to IFEJ, it is a well-known fact that Mr Aremeyaw Anas is the lead private investigator for Tiger Eye PI.
However, IFEJ indicated that, “It is not also clear if Tiger Eye PI also doubles as a media house and is recognised by the National Media Commission (NMC) as such, adding that it must be noted that any award that is fraught or laden with controversies compromises the spirit and letter of the award itself.”
IFEJ is therefore, demanding that the GJA and the Awards Committee come clear on this subject matter and set the records straight.
IFEJ further states that if in the wisdom of the GJA Executives and the Awards Committee it becomes necessary to take the ultimate winner outside of the entries, it is important that this must be made clear before the launch of the award.
“If it is the choice that some body outside of those who entered the competition should be declared the ultimate winner, the public must be invited to nominate, and a reputable audit firm must be engaged to collate the results. IFEJ finds it as a bad precedent to continue in the direction that foment discontent among the general public especially members of the inky fraternity and the award winners themselves,” the letter concluded.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas was crowned Ghana’s Journalist of the Year over the weekend at the GJA’s 21st Awards Nite for the second time. He won the 2006 edition.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi