As Heads of states and governments of Africa listen to their host, President John Agyekum Kufuor argue for a continental unity, at the Accra international conference centre yesterday, there where behind the scene skirmishes between journalists and officials of the Information Ministry over access to the main conference auditorium.

International and local media were restricted to a press makeshift center, put up mainly to provide accreditation and other media kits on the summit before accessing the main auditorium, but despite going through the rigors of acquiring a second official press tag, there was another brick wall, which is just no entry for the media.

Attempts to go through the heavy security barricade proved impossible, thus turning away the hundreds of journalists who had trooped the venue to cover the opening ceremony of the 9th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African union Summit in the Ghanaian capital, Accra.

Consequently, several local and foreign media personnel missed the opportunity to cover the opening ceremony of the summit from the various angles for their patrons.

The makeshift screens provided to transmit live coverage of the event by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, could not help matters, as they encounter occasional break in transmission. The picture and sound quality was something not worth writing about.

Both foreign and local media personnel could be seen sitting close to the various television sets and some on the floor monitoring proceedings from the television sets. Others could also be seen discussing the reasons behind the decision not to allow the media into the auditorium of the conference hall, since the decision was unpopular and unheard of, so far as international conferences are concern.

Early in the morning, in a hurriedly arranged press conference, the government spokesperson on governance, Frank Agyekum, told media personnel that there was not enough space in the conference hall and therefore only 15 out of the 650 (both international and local) media personnel could be allowed inside the conference hall.

This decision was contrary to what media personnel were told Friday, in a press briefing address by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Information, Mr Akrofi. At this briefing, the media was informed that 150 media personnel, which is be made up of 50 local and 100 international media personnel, would be allowed to enter the conference hall.

Also on Tuesday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD, Nana Akufo Addo, told media personnel at a meeting  that all accredited media houses will be allowed to cover  the opening and closing ceremony of the various event.

A little investigation conducted by this paper revealed that the main hall was occupied by members of the Council of States, Judiciary, Party Executives and Chiefs. Whilst the gallery was occupied by Ministers of States, Diplomatic Corps, Ghana's Ambassadors, Service Commanders and Parliamentarians.

A petition by the Ghana Journalist Association and signed by its President, Ransford Tetteh, bemoan of the treatments meted out to journalists covering the event. "The GJA wishes to express its displeasure at the turn of event and request immediate review of the situation to enable media personnel go about their work as required by international practice," he said.

The petition further indicated that the local and foreign media have accused the organizers for allowing traders to sell their wares at the media centre, creating an atmosphere of a mini trade fair, and demand that a separate stand be erected for them.

The GJA said it wished to put on record that contrary to an arrangement on June 30 between it and the Public Affairs Directorate of the AU Commission that only 150 media personnel ( both local and foreign but excluding photojournalists) out of the 650 accredited media personnel could be accommodated in the main hall, journalists were sacrificed when there was shortage of space.

"We considers this action by the organizers as unfortunate," the GJA added.

Another petition, which was signed by 167 media personnel (both local and international), to protest against what they described as "inhuman treatment" being meted out to the media through marginalisation and isolation, was thwarted by the organisers.