Ensure safety of Journalists at your parliamentary primaries- GJA warns NPP

The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour has urged officials and supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) across the country to ensure safety of Journalists who will be reporting and covering its parliamentary primaries on Saturday, January 27, 2024 across the country.

According to him, the GJA will not take any negative happenings against journalists from Saturday’s Primaries.

Mr Dwumfour gave the advice at a press conference to update the public on an assault on a journalist while covering the Central Regional vetting of parliamentary aspirants of the NPP, held at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC).

David Kobenna, a morning show host at the Cape FM, in the Central Region was assaulted on Thursday, 4th January, 2024, at the Central Regional vetting of parliamentary aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), held at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) by some thugs, numbering about 15 and wearing a branded T-shirt of Mavis Hawa Koomson.

The thugs mistook David for another person they alleged had insulted the MP, who is also the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development.

According to confirmation by the GJA President, Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, a police officer invited unsuspecting David to establish his identity.

David produced his media house ID Card as evidence of his identity, but in the process of doing so, someone slapped him from behind and other thugs joined in the assault, beating him mercilessly.

Unfortunately, he said the purported police officer who invited David for engagement, did not stop the thugs from assaulting the innocent morning show host.

Due to this, the GJA demanded that the NPP, at the regional and national levels, investigate the matter immediately and identify the culprits; That the NPP, at the regional and national levels, must sanction the perpetrators of the assault on David;That the Ghana Police Service must investigate the incident immediately and speedily in order to prosecute the culprits, and That the Ghana Police Service must investigate and identify the purported police officer who invited David before he was assaulted, and bring him to face sanctions for unprofessional conduct.

GJA also served notice that if by close of Friday, January 12, 2024, its demands had not been met, it shall advise members accordingly.

According to Mr Dwumfour, GJA submitted written petitions to the NPP, both at the national and regional levels, and the Ghana Police Service, pursuant to its demands.

Addressing the media, Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour said, the deadline has long passed but absolutely nothing has been done by the NPP and the Police in respect of the GEJA’s demands, three weeks after the incident.

He therefore called on all media houses to give total media blackout to the Member of Parliament (MP) for Awutu-Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson and stay away from her as an MP, a Minister of State or any other public capacity and position she may hold.

At the news Conference, the Central Region Secretary of the GJA, Kingsley Nana Buadu, and David Kobenna, the victim shared their experience and it came out that when the matter was reported, he had little evidence of the event since no one took videos when he was being brutalised.

The lack of evidence has not helped with investigations since it was difficult to identify the culprits.

However, the two made it known that one of the thugs have been identified.

Read Also: Hawa Koomson gets media blackout over attack on journalist

Based on this, Mr Dwumfour urged all journalists to try and get evidence while covering such events and they face such encounters and as well ensure to be in branded jackets during such assignments.

Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori