[ 2014-09-16 ]

Ghana likely to turn Iraq and Syria if assault on journalists persist
- Ken Ashigbey

The Managing Director of Graphic Communications
Group Ltd Mr. Kenneth Ashigbey has stated that the
country is likely to experience what is happening
in Iraq and in Syria if immediate steps are not
taken to cease assaults on journalists.

Speaking Monday on Adom Fm/ Asempa Fm's Burning
Issues program, he described the month of
September as “black September for journalists”
in the country.

Adom FM's journalists -Afia Pokua, Kofi Assan and
Sefa Samuel - were Thursday afternoon brutalized
by the Manager of the National Health Insurance
Scheme at Ablekuma in Accra.

This is the second time in less than a week that
journalists from the Multimedia Group Limited have
survived attacks in the hands of public officers.

On Saturday September 7, Felix Akunor, a driver
with MultiTV and two journalists, Solomon Joojo
Cobbinah and Festus Jackson Davies were arrested
on the orders of the Mayor of Accra, Alfred
Vanderpuije while covering the plight of some
displaced people at Mensah Guinea in Accra.

Mr. Ashigbey said the police should be quick to
intervene when they see journalists being attacked
in their line of duty, noting that one of the
places that journalists are being assaulted most
is the court.

He said it is time the Ghana Journalists
Association (GJA), National Media Commission
(NMC), Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association
(GIBA) and the state-owned media meet with the
chief justice, the IGP and the Attorney General to
discuss problems journalists are facing in the
country.

He urged media houses to also assure journalists
of their safety as well as their readiness to
secure them legal assistance in case of assault.

“We know the way our country become very
volatile during elections and very soon 2016 will
be here, so if we don't stop assault on
journalists in September it will be very difficult
for journalists in the country [to play a role in
the 2016 elections].”

He bemoaned the lack of seriousness attached to
assault cases by media owners and appealed to them
to as a matter of urgency stand for the right of
their workers.

Source - Adom News

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