Author: Chris-Vincent Agyapong Febiri
Ghanaian newspaper The Herald carried out a hatchet job on an unconcerned private citizen in good standing that was so disgusting it has to be called out as the disgrace to journalism that it is.
Rashida Saani, the individual in question, was baselessly accused by the newspaper – with no supporting facts or properly sourced information other than hearsay, innuendo, and most likely bad faith information from one Sylvia Baah-of partaking in the kidnapping of the latter, who is the Airport Services Manager for Emirates Airlines at Kotoka International Airport.
Such a powerful and potentially libelous accusation bears a heavy burden of proof based on the ethics of the journalistic profession, which The Herald as a newspaper is obligated to follow.
The Herald provided no such proof other than their own assumptions based on an incident that to them proves their conclusion, although it does nothing of the sort.
The Accusation:
In an article, titled “National Security & NIB Operatives kidnapped Emirates manager”, The Herald managed to flout nearly all the ethics and principles of journalism without batting an eyelid.
The title of the publication itself is already a huge red flag, stating as a matter of fact a huge allegation that has not been proven by a court of law nor hinted at by sources in law enforcement or anyone in an authoritative position to definitively make such an assessment.
Based on the flimsy proof they offered to back up their accusation, one would not be remiss in thinking they just spoke to Madam Sylvia Baah, took her story hook, line, and sinker, and printed it as fact.
The article only gets worse from there. It goes on to weave a fanciful tale based on flimsy facts, innuendo, assumptions, and perhaps some nefarious motives to allege that some two highly ranked security officers who were prevented from boarding an Emirates Airline flight on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, as well as a private citizen in their company, Rashida Saani-orchestrated a kidnapping plot of Sylvia Baah, Emirate Airlines’ Airport Services Manager at Kotoka International Airport.
What Actually Happened?
According to our sources with first-hand knowledge, Rashida Saani who was to travel on an Emirates Airline flight from Accra to Dubai heard her name being mentioned on the public address system multiple times at Kotoka International Airport despite the fact it was not time to board.
When Rashida managed to get to the boarding gate, she was told boarding had closed when the time for the closure was not due.
Rashida, as every reasonable passenger would be, was frustrated over the gate closure despite being on time and the fact that her name was mentioned multiple times via the public address system.
She vented out over this, particularly when it was not yet time to close the gate as stipulated by the fight schedule.
Rashida Saani has no power in the state security apparatus and is a private citizen who probably had a single misunderstanding with a service.
On what basis can this common and everyday occurrence then be equated to her becoming a sort of diabolical mastermind behind the scenes, orchestrating a kidnapping like old-world mafioso?
This can only happen in a world in which journalistic standards have been thrown to the dogs and The Herald perfectly demonstrated that in their article.
Chris-Vincent Agyapong Febiri, the author is a Ghanaian-British writer/journalist and a Human Rights Lawyer based in the UK.
