Kumasi journalists flay minister, Coordinating Council over neglect

A group of journalists in Kumasi, who were part of the Ashanti Regional Minister's convoy that was involved in an accident some six years back, have expressed their anger and disappointment at the way they had been treated by the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (ARCC), currently headed by Peter Anerfi Mesah who is the regional minister.

The journalists, whose bus was directly involved in the accident which occurred on April 17, 2009 on the New Edubiase-Oda road say they have been unfairly treated by the then minister Kofi Poku Manu and the Regional Coordinating Council saying they were left to their fate and denied the necessary compensations and insurance packages.

About seven Kumasi-based journalists, from both the electronic and print media, sustained various degree of injuries when their car, which was part of the Regional Minister's convoy travelling from Obuasi to New Edubiase on a familiarisation tour to some constituencies in Adansi somersaulted three times, after the driver failed to properly negotiate a curve and plunged into a ravine.

Among the accident victims were Richmond Frimpong of Fox 97.9FM, Victor Opoku and Evans Inkoom, both of TV3, Nana Appiah, Jem FM, Mr. Adu Poku of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Lawrence Kuma of the Crystal Clear Lens and Richard Opoku of the then Radio Xstacy.

One of the affected journalists, Evans Nkoom who expressed his frustration to Starr News contended that six years after the tragedy befell them, they have not received a any support from the Ashanti regional coordinating council on whose invitation they attended the programme.