Volta region GJA asks MP to apologise to journalists

Ho, Oct. 5, GNA - The Volta Region Branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has called on Mr Francis Agbotse, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho -West to "accord the media more respect in the continued quest for an enhanced democracy and national development". This was contained in a Press Release issued in Ho on Thursday in reaction to a reported fracas between Mr Agbotse and Mr Victor Kwawukumey of the Daily Graphic on Saturday, September 30, over a perceived bias of the Daily's Volta regional correspondents towards Mr Agbotse.

The release, signed by Mr Ali Kukubor, Volta Regional Chairman of the GJA, asked Mr Agbotse to render "an unqualified apology=94 to Mr Tim Dzamboe and Mr Victor Kwawukumey, Daily Graphic Correspondents in the Volta region.

The release said Mr Agbotse's alleged attack on the "professional work and persons" of the two persons was "unwarranted and amounted to an undue harassment of persons performing their professional duty. Telling his side of the story, Mr Agbotse said on that Saturday after Mr Alban Bagbin Minority Leader in Parliament had finished addressing an NDC meeting, he (Agbotse) enquired from the Press Corps as to who was the Defender Correspondent in the Volta region.

He said Mr Kwawukumey retorted by asking why he Agbotse wanted to know the Defender Correspondent and that he was an enemy of the Media. Mr Agbotse said Mr Kwawukumey also made reference to his alleged attack on Mr Dzamboe for writing an article that did not seem to favour him (Agbotse) just before the 2004 Parliamentary elections. Mr Agbotse said he retorted that, that article was a "very stupid article".

He denied having a bodyguard. 93I do not have a driver let alone a bodyguard, who was purported to have attacked Mr Kwawukumey, as he alleged in a news story of Wednesday, October 4 edition of the Daily Graphic.

"I did not threaten him, I did not touch him", if he had not said I was an enemy of the media I would not have retorted", Mr Agbotse maintained.

Mr Agbotse said if there was any enemy of the media that would not be him especially so, when in recognition of the vital role of the media, he had instituted a media award for the Volta Region. He said he was in the process of organizing one such award before the end of the year.