The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on Monday urged Government to ensure justice for the murdered investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale.
The GJA also outlined a series of measures to be undertaken to ensure that pressure was brought to bear on investigative bodies to fast track their investigations into Hussein-Suale’s murder, and to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to book.
The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Ken Ashigbey, outlined the series of actions to be undertaken by the GJA at a Security Seminar for journalists in Accra.
The seminar on safety and security of journalists, dubbed, “#JournalismIsNotACrime”, was organised by the GJA in collaboration with the National Peace Council.
It was to equip journalists with critical safety and security information in the discharge of their duties.
On Friday, February 8, the GJA will hold Hussein-Suale’s funeral at 1000 hours at the Ghana International Presse Centre in Accra.
He said the funeral was to put pressure to ensure justice for Hussein-Suale.
He noted that at that gathering, they would be able to demand for change and to keep the issue of attacks on journalists at the forefront.
He said they would also be engaging the various levels of governments – such as the Executives, the Legislature and the Judiciary and Civil Society, as well as the Diplomatic Community, who were interested that there was justice for not only Hussein-Suale but for all.
He further appealed to owners of media houses and editors to part-take in Hussein-Suale’s funeral.
Mr. Ashigbey a former Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, said the GJA will be observe a black Wednesday to commemorate Hussein-Suale’s death.
He said the observance of the black Wednesday was to put pressure on the Government and the security agencies to ensure justice for Hussien-Suale.
He said on that Wednesday, all journalists in the country have been urged to wear black, adding that, newspaper publications for that day would have a blank page adding that, there would be dead silence on radios, televisions and online news outlets.
He said the ultimate would be a peace match on Wednesday, March 20, with the submission of a petition.
Mr. Ashigbey said the GJA would be setting up the Martyrs’ Day for slain journalists in Ghana.
He said the Association will create a platform for naming and shaming all those who attack journalists.
Other speakers included the GJA President, Affail Monney, Director, Amnesty International Ghana, Robert Akoto Amoafo, a Security Analyst, Emmanuel Sowatey, Research Fellow of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center, Dr. Festus Kofi Aubynn, and Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Junior.
