Albert Kwabena Dwumfour
President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has called on the Interior Minister Ambrose Dery to act swiftly on matters relating to attacks on Upper West Regional Chairman of GJA, Sualah Abdul-Wahab by senior immigration officers.
“We expect him to act swiftly just as he did in his reaction to the IGP’s leaked tape,” the GJA President stated. He made the call at a press conference following the rampant attacks on journalists.
Mr. Dwumfour complained about how an immigration officer pointed a gun at the Upper West Regional Chairman of GJA, Sualah Abdul-Wahab, and threatened to shoot him on June 20, 2023, without any provocation.
The GJA President explained that Sualah, who is also the Upper East Regional Correspondent of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, was travelling from Wa to Bolgatanga on public transport to attend a workshop on climate change when the incident occurred.
Mr. Dwumfour said, “We see the men in uniform as partners in development in ensuring that governance and rule of law are upheld. They must be seen to be protecting journalists rather than attacking them. As enforcers of the law, they must know better.” He continued, “Therefore, we take their actions against journalists as a deliberate attempt to gag journalists.”
According to Mr. Dwumfour, the GJA finds the conduct of the immigration officers to be highly unprofessional and gross misconduct, which warrants severe sanctions.
Meanwhile, as part of its action plans, he said the GJA has already petitioned the Comptroller-General of Ghana Immigration Service, Lawyer Kwame Assuah-Takyi, and copied the Interior Minister to investigate the incident and sanction the officers involved where necessary to serve as a deterrent to others.
Another issue the GJA President touched on was that of the Ashanti Regional Correspondent of GTV, Nicholas Osei-Owusu, who was attacked by some soldiers while covering some miners who were trapped in a mining pit at Obuasi in the Ashanti Region a few weeks ago.
He said the only offence the reporter committed was videoing a warning shooting spree being carried out by the soldiers to disperse a mob on the premises of the Obuasi Central Police Station.
The GJA President was afraid these acts, by the military against a journalist who was carrying his constitutionally mandated duty, can pass for terrorism against the journalist and journalism in the country. He stated that the GJA has petitioned the military hierarchy and is waiting for an urgent response.
“Our demands include, investigating the matter thoroughly and sanctioning the culprits appropriately. Ladies and gentlemen of the media, a few weeks ago in Ashaiman, Angel FM’s Tema Regional Correspondent, Augustine Ahiabor was assaulted with his phone smashed by residents of Ashaiman Lebanon Zone 2, just for taking a picture of a toilet facility in a compound that had collapsed on people,” he said.