GJA calls for members' united front

Cape Coast, May 29, GNA- The General Secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Mr Bright Blewu on Thursday called on members of the Association to keep a united front to avoid being used by politicians for their personal gains, particularly in this election year.

He said journalists play an important role in the nation's democracy and should therefore not allow individuals and politicians to use them to derail the nation's democracy process.

Mr. Blewu said this when some executive members of the Association visited the Central Region, to express their sympathy and solidarity to two journalists, Mr Joe Okyere of the Daily Graphic and Mr Phillip Baidoo of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) who were allegedly assaulted by Mr Isaac Edumadze, MP in his residence at Ajumako last Sunday.

He said following what they heard about the alleged assault the GJA executives, decided to visit the region to hear from the victims themselves what actually happened and necessary action to take. Mr Blewu said this was an election year, and that politics, like football is passion, where people could easily target the press and stressed that when such attacks occurred, the GJA executive took it seriously and reacted appropriately.

"We had to react swiftly because it is a political year and journalists will be covering political party rallies, primaries and other political activities and can easily fall prey to any politician, in fact the media is one of the pillars of democracy and should therefore not be taken for granted".

He stressed that an attack on a journalist was an attack on the media and that the GJA would not allow such to happen in this election year. Mr Blewu, in this regard called on journalists in the region to appreciate the anguish, the two men went through and endeavour to give them "emotional support" to enable them to recover from the shock. Mr. Kwesi Afriyie Badu, Chief Executive KAB Consult and a legal advisor to the Association also expressed his sympathy to the two journalists after each narrated their his side of the story. He said Mr Edumadze has found himself at the wrong side of the law and that the case would be critically looked into, adding that the Association would inform the Privileges Committee of Parliament so as to have Mr Edumadze investigated and that the State Attorney would also be notified so that it would take up the issue from the Central Region Police Command.

Mr George Ebo Sackey, Regional Chairman of the Association, in his welcoming address commended the national executive for the prompt response and also expressed his displeasure about the incident, stressing, "if you touch a journalist you have touched all journalists". "We will not allow politicians to use journalists for their personal gains; journalists are there to advance the nation's democracy, help address the needs of the poor and needy but not to make bullies popular."

The former Central Regional Minister and Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam constituency, Mr Isaac Edumadze, after losing the NPP primaries on Sunday May 26, allegedly assaulted the Graphic Regional correspondent, Mr Joe Okyere in his residence at Ajumako. It is alleged that Mr Edumadze together with his macho men held two reporters, Mr. Philip Baidoo, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) correspondent and Mr. Okyere in his residence at Ajumako for over an hour, most of which time he assaulted Mr. Okyere, for alleged written bad things about him (Edumadze).