Fake Journalists fight over smuggled rice

Accra, Sept 2, GNA - The conference room of the Ghana International Press Centre (GIPC), became a centre of intense physical human activity when a group of fake journalists popularly described as "paparazzi" fought over smuggled rice.

This was after a press conference, organised by the Food and Beverage Association of Ghana (FABAG), on Thursday to speak on the effects of rice smuggling on the Ghanaian economy.

The conference room, which was "a centre for civility and which usually entertained men of character", lost its traditional appeal when the "journalists" (about eight of them) struggled to possess the highest number of the smuggled bags of rice, each weighing five kilogrammes.

As a proof of evidence to the press, FABAG brought to the conference hall, quantities of the bags of rice, kept in two large sacks, which were given to the media men to share after the press conference.

However, some of the journalists mostly "the paparazzi" decided to pick more than one bag each and in the process virtually messed themselves up to the astonishment of bystanders.

Since "two rams cannot eat in a bowl at a time", they began to "lock horns" resulting in pushing themselves. Some of them who fell on the seats in the hall during the scuffle threw their hands about trying to maintain their balance.

The Ghana Journalists Association, National Media Commission and other organized bodies need to step up their surveillance programmes to stem the activities of these people not only to redeem the image of Journalists, but also to allow genuine Journalists to go about their normal duties without interruptions and disruptions.