9 months ago
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Mr Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, the Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), has expressed his disagreement with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) for boycotting individuals accused of violently attacking journalists in the country.
The NMC Chairman finds it disheartening that journalists are being subjected to violent attacks, but believes that boycotting is not the most effective response.
Speaking at the opening of a training programme titled “Journalists for Peaceful Discourse” for selected journalists from Ashanti, Ahafo, and Bono East Regions, he said fighting impunity with impunity was not the solution, adding, “I support efforts to ensure justice is served against those responsible for these acts.”
He emphasised the importance of following the rule of law and due process rather than resorting to blacklisting or boycotting.
While he acknowledged the popularity of such calls, he believed they were not productive or in the public interest.
The programme, supported by the US Embassy in Ghana, aims to promote peaceful and credible elections in 2024 by equipping journalists with the necessary skills and knowledge for fact-based and non-partisan election reporting.
The NMC Chairman also stressed the importance of not only condemning such acts, but also encouraging victims to seek redress through the mechanisms provided by the NMC and the Ghana Police Service.
He called for thorough investigation into these cases and the imposition of appropriate legal penalties on the perpetrators.
He noted that the accountability forum revealed lack of reporting to the relevant bodies, and urged the GJA to address this issue before issuing public statements.
Touching on the pending elections, he urged journalists “not to allow themselves to be misused by any politically partisan interest to undermine our sense of professionalism”.
“Therefore, in analysing any procedure introduced by the Electoral Commission in electoral resorts, we must look at the greatest national interest rather than the fanatical partisan position,” he said.
On his part, Mr Kelvin Brosnahan, representative of US Embassy, Ghana, commended the GJA for calling for accountability in connection with what he described as “high profile attacks on journalists”.
He said, “This is a great example of a democratic institution, like GJA, protecting its members, thank you, GJA.”
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI
