By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) led by its president, Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor has pledged to continue safeguarding the rights and freedoms of journalists nationwide.
The Association said it is committed to combating any form of aggression towards journalists.
The President of the Association, addressing the media in Accra on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, reiterated that the GJA will persist in instructing its members to blacklist any individual who threatens a journalist in the country.
This stance follows a directive issued by the GJA in conjunction with the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).
The directive calls for media organisations across the country to blacklist the Member of Parliament (MP) for Yendi, Mr. Farouk Mahama, for allegedly assaulting Mr. Mohammed Aminu M. Alabira, a Northern Regional Reporter for the Accra-based Citi TV/Citi FM.
Mr. Mahama and his team were said to have attacked Mr. Alabira while he was reporting on the disruption of the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary primary held in the Yendi constituency on January 27, 2024.
“In fact, this is the way to go. We want to send a signal, a caution, that we are not going to relax on our call for our members to blacklist politicians, individuals, or groups who rise against journalists or who impede press freedom and media independence. We will not entertain such acts,” Mr. Dwumfuor said.