Members of the Parliamentary Press Corps have been issued a curt warning not to violate the purpose for which they are accredited to cover Parliament
Such deviation, the Corps was warned, will make them unwelcome guest, which could lead to their accreditation being withdrawn.
Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye, has threatened to withdraw the accreditation of members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) if they fail to abide by the rules.
He warned that journalists who report from Parliament do so by the permission and recognition of the Speaker as guests.
He stressed that but for this recognition and permission granted by the Speaker, members of the PPC will be strangers in the house.
Speaker Mike Oquaye issued the warning following complaints by Majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, that members of the PPC abandoned coverage of the debate on the President’s message on the State of the Nation to grant an interview to an individual member.
He lamented that the press left the chamber to engage with a member who had opted not to be in the house to participate in the debate but was speaking outside on the content of the President’s message.
Prof. Mike Oquaye stressed Parliamentary correspondents are in Parliament by dint of their profession and the work expected of them.
He noted that as much as the press could grant interviews before or after plenary, covering proceedings in the chamber is the primary duty of members of the Corps.
He said, “I take a very serious view of the matter raised.”
“Apart from the recognition and permission granted by the Speaker, Members of the Parliamentary Press Corps will be strangers in the House.”
“I want to let the media know you are here as guests by my permission because of the importance this house attaches to the inky profession.”
“Any such deviation will make you unwelcome guest and your welcome will be duly withdrawn,” he warned.
Earlier in his complaint, the Majority leader indicated the media are accredited to cover proceedings in the Chamber.
According to him, any group or Caucus that would want to engage the press could do so but stressed this could be done before or after sitting of the House.
He stressed that the press should not leave the Chamber while proceeding is ongoing to grant interviews with individual members except when something dramatic happens that compels reporters to go out to source more information.
“If the media wants to cover proceedings and are so registered, they should discharge their responsibilities to this House and not to individuals.”
“I want that firmly registered,” he stated.
Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, acknowledged calls on the media to be dutiful to the House hence the need to demonstrate they are serving Parliament and not any individual MP.
He, however, insisted it does not lie with the Majority leader to determine who holds which press conference and when.
