I vividly recall my encounter with the immediate past Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, in the press room he created for December 7 election reporting.
He remarked, “You press men are our mouthpieces. If you are not informing the good people of Ghana about the good works we do, who will?” Under IGP Dampare’s leadership, I felt a genuine concern for the welfare of journalists; I believed that no police officer would dare lay a finger on a civilian, let alone a journalist, regardless of the circumstances.
However, over the years, journalists have often found themselves as punching bags, particularly at the hands of politicians who, in their arrogance, feel entitled to attack us whenever it suits them. During election periods like the just ended Ablekuma North re-run one, reports of assaults against journalists become alarmingly frequent. We often seek refuge in our police allies, who are typically ready to assist us.
But what transpired this time? A video that has since gone viral captured a police officer assaulting a GHONE TV journalist at the Church of Pentecost, North Odorkor Polling 2 Station during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun. The most distressing aspect of the footage was that, despite onlookers attempting to calm him down, the officer—identified as Adentan Divisional Commander Lumor—suddenly slapped the journalist.
The journalist, Agyekum Banahene, recounted his experience: “The officer approached me and told me to leave the premises, even though other media personnel were present. He didn’t ask anyone else to leave; he just singled me out. I refused to go because I thought, what if something happened? How would I report it?” he continued, “He started pushing me and then slapped me in the face for no reason. I hadn’t done anything wrong.”
Given his years of service, this officer’s conduct was not only barbaric and unprofessional but also a blatant violation of press freedoms. Such an assault on those who are supposed to protect us sends a troubling message: if police officers can act with impunity, what stops ordinary citizens from doing the same? How much more dangerous does this become for journalists who expose wrongdoing by politicians and businessmen?
As is customary, the police command issued a press statement condemning the incident. It read: “The officer concerned has been withdrawn from ongoing election duty at Ablekuma North and has been interdicted in line with internal disciplinary procedures. He has also been referred to the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) for investigation. We assure the public that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the matter.”
I sincerely hope that the police command does not merely sweep this unprofessional conduct under the rug but instead heeds the call from Ghana Journalist Association President, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, for a comprehensive investigation. If this trend continues, we may soon reach a point where there will be no journalists left to cover election events. It’s only a matter of time.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke