By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has called on the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to haul Member of Parliament for Yendi Constituency, Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama, following allegations of assault against a journalist with an Accra-based Citi TV/Citi FM in Yendi, before Parliament’s Privileges Committee.
The President of GJA, Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, addressing journalists at a joint press conference put together by the GJA, Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in Accra on February 6, 2024, expressed shock at the deafening silence from high profile party bigwigs and persons who are at the helm of affairs to see to the security of the populace.
“The GJA, GIBA, PRINPAG and MFWA are really shocked that after a week of this dastardly gangstarism no arrest has been made when the Regional Police Commander also tasted the ruthless actions of the thugs.
Colleagues, where have we reached as a country? For a journalist to be attacked, a senior police officer and EC official to be taken hostage in a bus after the chaos for hours only for the Military to come to their rescue and till date no arrest has been made. This should tell us that if care is not taken, this year’s election will be bloody.
Colleagues, though our intel suggested an orchestrated attack on the media before, during, and after election 2024, we least expect the deafening silence from high profile party bigwigs and persons who are at the helm of affairs at the Regional and National levels.
We do not want to believe that they endorse the behaviour of the “professional troublemakers” in their party. After two of our colleagues have been attacked during their primaries, no senior member of the NPP leadership has reached out and condemned the attacks.
We would like to call on the Speaker of Parliament, Right Honourable Speaker, Alban Sumana Bagbin, to intervene in the Yendi case and haul the MP to the appropriate Parliamentary Committee to respond to his unhonourable behaviour,” Mr. Kwabena Dwumfuor retorted.
According to him, the GJA is happy that Parliament reconvened on February 6, 2024, and that the association is expecting the Leadership of the House to take action to reprimand the Honourable MP for Yendi, Farouk Aliu Mahama.
The following are the resolutions and demands the GJA and its allies are making regarding the alleged attack on the Citi FM journalist:
1. That all media houses must BLACKLIST and offer Farouk Aliu Mahama no media coverage, interviews, etc. as the MP for Yendi and any other state position he holds until further notice. We want you to know that, apart from him being insensitive to the work of journalists (as demonstrated during the Parliamentary Primaries), there are vigilantes around him who may harm you. So, just steer clear of him and his thugs.
2. The NPP leadership at the National and Regional levels must seek justice for our colleague, Mohammed Amin Alabira, by sanctioning the MP and his hoodlums appropriately;
3. The Ghana Police Service should speed up with investigations into the case and arraign the perpetrators before court to face the full rigours of the law for their distasteful conduct. This time the policemen and women are witnesses to the incident as it happened.
4. We are giving the NPP, Regional and National, and the Ghana Police Service ten (10) days ultimatum each to hear from them. They should arrest the perpetrators. If they fail, we shall advise ourselves.
The GJA President maintained that the executives of associations have the highest hope that all media houses will rally behind their call and ensure that they adhere to the directives. This is in our shared interest.
“Any media house which violates the BLACKLIST declaration, believing that their staff will not be attacked and goes ahead to offer their platforms to Farouk Aliu Mahama, the blood of any journalist who will be killed during this period will be on the head of owners and management of such media houses.
If we had taken action in the past, we are sure Ahmed Suale would have been alive today. Never again! Never again!
Colleagues, let us also do well to avoid actions that will make unreasonable politicians and their assigns attack us,” Mr. Kwabena Dwumfuor cautioned.