By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Dwumfuor, has called on the government to assert its authority and nip the escalating insecurity in Bawku in the Upper East Region and Nalerigu in the North East Region in the bud.
He expressed particular concern over the apparent spread of the conflict into the Ashanti Region, which has allegedly led to the targeted killing of at least three individuals within the Asawase community in the Asokore Mampong Municipality within just one week.
Speaking during a visit to the office of the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Emmanuel Teye-Cudjoe, in Kumasi, the GJA President cautioned:
“We know what the Police Service can do when they’re ready to act — except that there may be undercurrents we are unaware of. But we know that if the police truly want to ensure we don’t continue to record such killings and unhealthy confrontations — which generate and degenerate into tensions and chaos, just as in Bawku — it can be done.”
“We do not want to witness another Bawku situation in the Ashanti Region. Again, we are committed to collaborating with the Police in your work. We know that you’ve done well recently by engaging the media — a notable improvement compared to the recent past — and we encourage you to continue. The media serves as the bridge between the government and the people. So, we believe that you, as the representative of the IGP in the region, should help deepen this relationship,” he added.
The GJA President also extended the sympathy and support of the media fraternity to the management and staff of Pure FM — a Kumasi-based private radio station that was recently gutted by fire.
Mr. Dwumfuor appealed to corporate organizations and well-meaning individuals to support the station in its efforts to recover and continue contributing to socio-economic development.
Responding to the concerns, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Teye-Cudjoe, described the recent killings in Asawase as a challenging moment, though not unprecedented.
“I urge the media to be circumspect in their reportage. These may be trying times for the nation, but it’s not something we haven’t encountered before. With the support of the media, we believe the national security setup is well-positioned to overcome this hurdle. We want to assure all citizens to feel safe. Most importantly, we urge everyone to report any suspicious activities to the security agencies. We are dedicated to restoring normalcy,” he assured.
DCOP Teye-Cudjoe further noted that, although both the police and the media share a common objective — information gathering — the lack of discretion in media reportage, particularly on cases under investigation, can undermine efforts to combat crime.
He pledged the Police Command’s continued support and recognition of the media’s work in the region.
Joining the GJA President on the courtesy call were the General Secretary of the GJA, Dominic Hlordzi, and the Ashanti Regional Vice Chairman-elect, Nicholas Osei-Wusu.
The delegation later held a closed-door meeting with journalists practicing in the Ashanti Region to discuss issues affecting journalism practice and media welfare.
