Every journalist would have to pay GHC10 to procure an accreditation card from the Ghana’s Electoral Commission to have access to polling centres during voting on December 7.
“It’s now been confirmed to be 10.00 cedis, please,” Communications Director at the EC, Eric Kofi Dzakpasu told Onua FM.
He explained that the fees would be paid during collection of the tages. This is the first time the media are being billed for accreditation tags since 1992, when Ghana returned to multiparty democracy.
The EC in a recent statement said: “Accreditation tags will be given to only those who have formally applied for it and for a fee to be determined by the Commission.”
“All media houses who would wish to observe the elections are hereby requested to submit the names and details of their personnel per the enclosed format to the Commission by close of day Monday, 7th of November 2016”, the release directed.
Meanwhile, some journalists are threatening to sue the Electoral Commission if it insists on taking money from the media before allowing them to cover the upcoming general elections.
The President of a group known as the International Standard Journalists Association, Dr. Nana Oppong said they will not pay for the accreditation but would cover the elections.
“We will cover the election but we will not pay the money that the EC is demanding and we are going to see what decision the EC is going to take against journalists who intend to cover free and fair and peaceful election in accordance with the constitution of the country,” he said.
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