The Rector of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), Prof. Kwamena Aidoo, has condemned incessant attacks on journalists in the country, calling for an end to the emerging dangerous phenomenon.
Speaking at the 13th Congregation of the institute, which coincided with 60 years of the establishment of the journalism school in Accra on Saturday, Prof. Aidoo noted that said Ghana’s Constitution recognizes freedom of speech and empowers journalists to do their work in an impartial manner.
According to him, attempting to cow journalists to submission does not augur well for the country’s budding democracy.
His comment comes a few days after a former editor of the Accra Mail, Haruna Atta, had compared attacks of journalists under former military dictator, Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, and the current leader Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, claiming that journalists attacks under President Akufo Addo have outweighed that of the former military leader.
Former President John Dramani Mahama, now the flag bearer of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has warned President Akufo Addo that his ignorance over journalists’ attacks and the siege against the press were denting the image of Ghana.
The United States of America and the United Kingdom governments had early last week called on Akufo Addo’s administration to as a matter of urgency, institute a probe of the murder of the investigative journalist, Ahmed Hussein Suale, to bring the perpetrators to book.
Suale, a member of the Tiger Eye PLC, an investigative organization headed by ace Ghanaian investigative journalist, Anas Arimeyaw Anas, who exposed corruption and bribery involving the Ghana Football Association, was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen in broad daylight at Medina, a suburb in Accra. As of now, no one has been apprehended.
A Joy FM, journalist, Manasseh Awuni, who did a documentary on the training of vigilantes in the Christerborg Castle in Accra by a group aligned to the ruling government, has now fled to South Africa for his life.
Besides, action is yet to be taken against the police officers, who assaulted three journalists, including a female working with state-owned Ghanaian Times, In addition, two on-line editors were allegedly tortured by the National Security operatives, while last Wednesday, a journalist, James Harrison Mensah, was made to weed for one hour by two soldiers at Michelle Camp for intervening in a brawl between two commuters.
This phenomenon is making Ghana’s media landscape very dangerous and should be checked before it is too late.
DAP\GIK/APA