The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has condemned actions by Blessed Godsbrain Smart, also known as Captain Smart of Onua TV / FM, inciting the youth of Obuasi to invade the concession of AngloGold Ashanti Mines and mine it to make a living.
Despite condemning the act, the GJA said it cannot establish the video and its contents as an immediate causal effect to the actions of the youth in Obuasi and the death of nine people.
There was a clash between the youth and the military guarding the AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mines recently and as a result, about nine persons lost their lives.
After the incident occured, a section of the public have blamed Captain Smart for inciting the youth into the violence act.
Speaking at a Press Conference in Accra on Wednesday, January 22,2025, the GJA President, Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor said the Association has been inundated with calls and messages to act swiftly on the matter in order not to re-enact the Rwandan Genocide in Ghana.
However, the he said the GJA’s investigations indicate that the video circulating on social media predates 2025, noting that it was done in 2023.
“Therefore, we cannot establish the video (and its contents) as an immediate causal effect to the actions of the youth in Obuasi and the death of nine people.
However, what we can establish is that the contents of the video are vile, repugnant, malicious, outrageous and lawless,” He said.
Again, He said such contents may even be proscribed in the ghettos and so the GJA does not expect media studios to ascribe to them.
Meanwhile, Mr Dwumfuor said the GJA’s resolve to defending media freedom is unflinching and remains steadfast in its quest to denouncing media irresponsibility.
“We need to appreciate the fact that freedom goes with responsibility and that the media is an agent of construction, not destruction,”he added.
The GJA urged media practitioners and institutions to be professional at all times and help make Mother Ghana great and strong.
“Colleagues, we call on the media fraternity to support us in these matters so that we can collectively defend the independence and freedom of the media and Ghanaians in general. We need a united front now than ever before. Long live press freedom in Ghana,” he added.
Ghana l Atinkaonline.com l Porcia Oforiwaa
