Can a board chair issue a letter without the consent of the C.E.O? A question I need answers to.
According to a letter writing by the Film Directors Guild of Ghana (FDGG) which has the following people copied;
The Vice President (Jubilee House, Accra)
The Hon. Speaker (Parliament of Ghana)
The Chief Justice (Supreme Court of Ghana)
The Chief of Staff (Jubilee House, Accra)
The Secretary to The President (Jubilee House, Accra)
The Chief Director (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture)
The President (Creative Arts Council of Ghana)
The Executive Secretary (National Film Authority),
stated clearly that, the FDGG received a letter from the National Film Authority ( NFA) signed by the board chair and without the knowledge of the EXECTUIVE SECRETARY of the NFA to stop their annual Event Ghana Film Summit which has been in existence before the establishment of the NFA.
So I ask this question, Can a board chair issue a letter without the consent of the C.E.O?
NATIONAL FILM AUTHORITY LETTER
3rd JULY, 2020.
PRESIDENT FDGG ACCRA
Dear Sir,
LETTER OF SUMMONS
It has come to the knowledge of the National Film Authority (NFA) about press releases from some of the stakeholder associations concerning an event being organized as “Ghana Film Summit” by FDGG.
Based on the above reason it has become necessary to respond to the concerns being raised by some of its stakeholder associations in their various press releases declining and disassociating from the “Ghana Film Summit” being organized by FDGG, the Authority wish to state it is in the interest of unity and peace within the industry that we are summoning the organizers of the event to a meeting with the governing board to address issues raised by the stakeholder associations.
Details of the meeting as follows:
Date: 6th July, 2020 Time: 11am Venue: Bureau of Ghana languages.
Thanks.
Regards
Mr. David Dontoh Board Chairman
Request for Audience – Minister for Tourism
OUR REF: FDGG/054/ADM/G20 YOUR REF: ………….…… 22ND JULY, 2020
THE HON. MINISTER MINISTRY OF TOURISM, ARTS AND CULTURE MINISTRIES – ACCRA.
Dear Minister,
EMERGENCY: REQUEST FOR AUDIENCE WITH THE HON. MINISTER TO SOLVE PENDING PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES AFFECTING FDGG AND THE “GHANA FILM SUMMIT 2020”
I write in reference to the letter FDGG was copied by the Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, from Jubilee House, with the (Ref: OPS 308/20/1037) and (Dated: 14th July, 2020), which suggests you, our Honourable Sector Minister, to grant FDGG audience to solve the pending problems and challenges affecting FDGG and the “Ghana Film Summit 2020”.
For further detail, some members of the Governing Board of the National Film Authority (NFA) has, two times, sent a document to FDGG, one on 7th July, 2020 and the other on 20th July, 2020, without the consent of the Executive Secretary to the NFA Board. The two documents are ordering FDGG (Film Directors Guild of Ghana), the organizers of the only annual film conference in the Republic of Ghana, which is meant for the deliberation of developmental strategies for the Ghana Film Industry, i.e. “GHANA FILM SUMMIT 2020”, for FDGG to stop using the name “GHANA” as an attached name to the Film Summit. They are by those document, unfortunately, ordering us to name the conference ‘FDGG FILM SUMMIT’ instead of “GHANA FILM SUMMIT”. This is legally not right. Secondly, by that document, the NFA is ordering FDGG to desist from addressing itself as the “Apex body for all Creative Directors, Cinematographic Authors or Film and Television Directors who undertake the making of motion pictures (films and television productions) in Ghana; which is exactly what FDGG is as a labour union or association for film directors in Ghana, hence our registration with the Registrar General Department (19th December, 2014), for which we are the most nationwide film association in Ghana with ten (10) regional branches, and over 300 members. There is no other Film Directors association as nationwide as FDGG, which has a large membership as FDGG in this country. The orders by the NFA documents also means the NFA is ordering FDGG to stop advertising itself to attract membership. This too is legally not right. Freedom of Association is the order of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana!
We don’t think even our Sector Ministry will have the pleasure to order the organizers of “Vodafone Ghana Music Awards” (a.k.a. VGMA), Charter House, to stop using the name “GHANA” and call the awards ‘VODAFONE CHARTER HOUSE MUSIC AWARDS’ without any legal reason why the name “GHANA” should not be used by Charter House; but rather for the fact that may be the Honourable Minister, as an individual, has a personal issue with the Chief Executive Officer of Charter House. This cannot be; and such should not be with FDGG by the NFA.
And again, the “GHANA FILM SUMMIT” is an annual conference for the Ghana Film Industry, which is scheduled to take place on every July of every year. For the tradition of the “GHANA FILM SUMMIT”, this year will be the fourth edition. The Summit has hosted the following Diplomats and State Officials in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 editions: this includes The sister of the President of the Republic, Madam Marigold Akufo-Addo, The High Commissioner of India to Ghana, The High Commissioner of South Africa to Ghana, The High Commissioner of Ghana to Canada, The High Commissioner of Ghana to India, The Ambassador of France to Ghana, The Communications Minister of Ghana, The Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister, The
Deputy Minister for Communications, The CEO of National Commission on Culture, The Accra Mayor, and other celebrities in the country like Kofi Adjorlolo, Adjetey Anang, Bill Asamoah, Martha Ankomah, Jackie Appiah, Nadia Buari (to mention a few) and renowned film producers like Abdul Salam Mumuni of Venus Films Production, Mr. Hammond Mensah of H. M. Films, Mr. Danny Dammah, producer of the Oscar Award winner movie, “BEAST OF NO NATION”, and many others.
There is a deliberate effort by some members of the NFA Governing Board to sabotage this year’s edition of the “GHANA FILM SUMMIT” simply because His Excellency the President of the Republic has officially accepted to attend the Summit as the SPECIAL GUEST OF HONOUR. This poses a discomfort and political threat to those members of the NFA Board, who are NDC sympathizers, who don’t want the opportunity given to the President to interact, in person, with the popular players of the Creative industry in Ghana, especially the movies stars who have massive followership on social media, whose engagement or interaction with the President at the “GHANA FILM SUMMIT 2020” will trigger so many voters followership in the favour of His Excellency, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. These folks are so desperate to sabotage the Summit so that the President will not attend to express and share his vision and dreams with the players of the Ghana Film Industry. They are doing all this evil to FDGG because of their personal hatred for the National President of FDGG, RICHARD YAW BOATENG, who they labeled as ‘Akufo-Addo’s boy’ because he was serving the family of the President, especially the First Lady, H.E Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, as their personal Photographer from 2012 to 2018; who is also the founder of the “Ghana Film Summit”; who is also the Secretary General for the Film Federation of Ghana (FFG), which they have serve on the Board of the Film Federation with him since 11th November, 2014. So their attack on FDGG is based on their personal sentiments with the FDGG President.
In the light of the above, we are by this letter following up on our correspondent with the Secretary to the President, which suggest the Hon. Minister to grant FDGG audience in solving the pending challenges and advise the Office of the President accordingly. We also need to confirm or agree on next Friday 31st July, 2020 as the postponed date for the “GHANA FILM SUMMIT 2020”.
We would extremely appreciate it if you will treat our request with your highest consideration.
Please find attached the two documents that the NFA sent to FDGG to sign for them to publish it, which the first one that they sent, you advised FDGG not to sign it, a copy of the letter that the Secretary to the President copied FDGG, and all the correspondence between FDGG and the Office of The President.
We look forward to meeting with you soon, our sweet Honourble Mother. Yours faithfully,
.……………………………..……………….. GIFTY SERWAA BONSU ANAAFI (GENERAL SECRETARY | FDGG) [0249864300 / 0245020982] info@ghanafilmsummit.org / info@fdggh.org www.ghanafilmsummit.org / www.fdggh.org
CC: The Vice President (Jubilee House, Accra) The Hon. Speaker (Parliament of Ghana) The Chief Justice (Supreme Court of Ghana) The Chief of Staff (Jubilee House, Accra) The Secretary to The President (Jubilee House, Accra) The Chief Director (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culutre) The President (Creative Arts Council of Ghana) The Executive Secretary (National Film Authority
63 – Request for Audience – Minister for Tourism…
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