The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has called on President John Mahama to take a personal interest in the recent brutal attack on Ohemeng Tawiah, a journalist with the Multimedia Group Limited, and ensure that the perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted.
The GJA’s call comes in the wake of a recent assault on JoyNews’ Assisting Editor, Ohemeng Tawiah by a mob of illegal small-scale miners while covering a police operation in the Offin Shelter Belt Forest Reserve in the Ashanti region.The attack, described by the GJA as barbaric, left Mr Tawiah with severe injuries, including head and chest wounds, twisted fingers, and multiple cuts.
Speaking on the issue at a news conference on Thursday, January 23, the President of the GJA, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour condemned the attack and highlighted its implications for Press Freedom in Ghana.
“This phenomenon has been a major drawback to Ghana’s World Press Freedom Index in recent years. We are poised to reset this narrative. We shall continue to defend media freedom, and, in so doing, we shall not tolerate attacks against media practitioners,” he said.
Mr. Dwumfour emphasized the need for swift action from the Ghana Police Service to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of such crimes, stressing that failure to act would embolden further attacks on journalists.
In a direct appeal to President Mahama, the GJA President reminded him of the commitments he made to the media on July 7, 2024, during a media engagement at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel where he pledged to promote the interests of the media and stand against assaults on media practitioners.
“Colleagues, in the matter of Ohemeng Tawiah and another outstanding barbaric case of assault involving Erastus Asare Donkor also of the Multimedia Group Limited, we appeal to President Mahama to take a personal interest in them and ensure that the perpetrators are arrested, arraigned and punished for their crimes. “This is the time we expect the President to redeem his pledge. It is said that ‘Action speaks louder than words,’” Mr Dwumfour stated, urging the President to demonstrate his commitment by ensuring justice for the victims of attacks on journalists. He also called on other stakeholders, including the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, and civil society organizations, to address the growing trend of attacks on journalists, which he said continues to undermine Ghana’s Press Freedom credentials.
