My actions are mine, not Akufo-Addo’s – Hajia Fati

Hajia Fati, an avid supporter of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) who is mostly stationed at the party’s headquarters in Asylum Down, Accra, has appealed to the general public not to link her actions to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

According to her, she is solely responsible for her actions, therefore, any criticism of her actions should be directed at her.

Hajia Fati’s comments come on the heels of criticism against the government following her attacks on a journalist of the Multimedia Group.

She has been accused of slapping an Adom FM journalist who was covering events at the NPP’s headquarters on Friday as the party’s suspended Second National Vice Chair, Sammy Crabbe, went to pick his nomination forms.

Hajia Fati allegedly slapped Ohemaa Sekyiwaa as she tried taking pictures of her at the party’s headquarters.

According to Ohemaa Sekyiwaa, Hajia Fati was infuriated at Mr Crabbe, for coming to the party's headquarters to pick nomination forms to contest in the upcoming elections. In her bid to get an interview, the embittered Hajia Fati smashed the reporter's phone and punched her mouth, accusing her of working for Mr Crabbe.

The Ghana Journalists Association has condemned the attack. “What is more worrying is that some of her attacks on journalists including Adom FM reporter’s case were launched at the NPP headquarters, giving the impression, even if erroneously, that the ruling party endorses her violence on us. The GJA is considering various options including legal action to end such impunity against journalists, which we consider to be a violent attack on press freedom,” GJA President Roland Affail Monney said at a press conference in Accra on Monday, 7 May 2018.

But speaking on Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM with sit-in host Obeng Mensah Katakyie, a defiant Hajia Fati, said: “I am responsible for my actions, and, so, nobody should link the president and the government to my actions.”

“As I said earlier, I didn’t know the lady was a journalist because she didn’t introduce herself to me before taking the pictures.”