The government is ready to satisfy with the Ghana Journalists Affiliation (GJA) subsequent week to debate issues over assaults on journalists within the nation.
The scheduled assembly follows a press convention by the GJA in Accra on Tuesday over seven assaults the Affiliation mentioned journalists have suffered since inception of the present authorities.
“It’s disheartening to notice that almost 50 days into the second John Mahama’s administration, we’ve witnessed seven instances of assault towards journalists, and that is unprecedented,” GJA president, Albert Dwomfour, mentioned.
However addressing presidential reporters on the Presidency in Accra yesterday, Minister of State for Authorities Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, whereas condemning the alleged assaults underlined that linking it similar to authorities was regrettable.
“It’s a most regrettable narrative. We don’t suppose that it’s honest to President Mahama, it isn’t honest to authorities, it’s even not honest to the GJA and even to the journalists who’re reported to have been attacked,” he said.
In accordance with him, the incidents referred to by the GJA had been undertaken by non- state actors and couldn’t be linked to the government.
To that finish, he talked about, their offences have to be considered as “felony” and be handled as such; one thing the police should investigate and punish the perpetrators.
“If people assault journalists at a public occasion, that could be a breakdown of legislation and order, not a directive from the federal government,” he famous.
President John Mahama, Mr Ofosu mentioned, values press freedom and has maintained a robust relationship with journalists, and can be the final individual to inhibit their work.
“He’s a member of the Ghana Journalists Affiliation and has at all times welcomed open engagement with journalists, even when criticised,” he mentioned.
He advised journalists who really feel threatened to report back to the appropriate authorities for redress; assuring that authorities was keen to assist them search justice.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
