Boycott Hawa Koomson - GJA urges journalists, media houses
The Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) has called on media houses in the country to cease coverage of activities involving the Member of Parliament for the Awutu Senya East Constituency, Hawa Koomson.
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The President of the GJA, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, who was addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, urged members of the association to strictly adhere to the directive, saying it was for the “collective interest” of all journalists and media houses.
“Give total blackout to Mavis Hawa Koomson and stay away from her as an MP, a Minister of State or any other public capacity and position she may hold,” he added.
Mr Dwumfour said the directive had become necessary due to the threat posed to journalists by some “criminal-minded persons,” surrounding Ms Koomson.
“This is because we believe there are thugs, unreasonable and evil-minded people around the MP who pose a serious threat to the lives of journalists and other media practitioners.
I must emphasise that we have nothing against the person of the MP, but we are scared of people around her,” he added.
Present at the packed press conference were members of the National Executives of the GJA, the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), the Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwasi Pratt Jnr; Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Ernest Frimpong, among other media personalities.
Attack
The president said the directive was in reaction to an attack on David Kobenna, a journalist, on January 4, this year, during the vetting of parliamentary aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Central Region.
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He said the about 15 persons who attacked and assaulted the journalist were wearing Mrs Koomson’s branded T-shirts.
“The thugs mistook David for another person they alleged had insulted the MP, who is also the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development,” Mr Dwumfour said.
The GJA, he said, was informed that a man believed to be a police officer invited the journalist to establish his identity, but in the process of doing so, someone slapped the journalist from behind and other thugs joined in the assault, beating him mercilessly.
“Unfortunately, the purported police officer who invited David for the engagement did not stop the thugs from assaulting the innocent morning show host,” the president said.
He said the thugs would have killed David but for the timely intervention of some of his colleagues around.
“They did not care about the evidence David showed them that he was not the suspect.
That is how unreasonable they were.
“It is important to appreciate the gesture of Peter Mac Manu, a former national chairman of the NPP, who chaired one of the regional vetting committees and offered the victim GH¢1400 to pay for his hospital bills after his attention had been drawn to the incident,” Mr Dwumfour said.
Collaboration
Mr Dwumfour said the GJA arrived at the decision in consultation with GIBA and PRINPAG.
He urged the leadership of the NPP to find the thugs who assaulted the journalist and sanction them appropriately.
The president also called on the Ghana Police Service to speed up investigations into the assault case and prosecute the perpetrators.
“The police must also identify and sanction the purported police officer who invited David and watched on while the innocent morning show host was beaten mercilessly by thugs,” he said.
Safety
Mr Pratt told the Daily Graphic in an interview that in this election year, “measures must be taken to protect the safety of journalists and shield them from abuse of politicians”.
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He said politicians must be informed that journalists will resist all attempts to silence them or prevent them from performing their duties.
“We will resist them, we will not let them have their way because the same Constitution that gives them the power to operate is the same Constitution that gives us the freedom to operate,” Mr Pratt added.