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The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) is in discussion with an insurance company with the view of engaging it to provide insurance cover for members of the Association.
The said insurance company is expected to put before the GJA, a proposal for consideration. General Secretary of the Association, Dave Abgenu, who revealed this on Onua FM on Monday also encouraged media owners to get insurance cover for their journalists.
He again urged institutions such as Parliament and the presidency, to insure journalists who cover them so that in the event of any accident or disaster, such insurance could cater for their needs.
Mr Agbenu was reacting to concerns that some journalists with the presidential press corps who were involved in accident in the line of duty have not been compensated a year on.
The accident, which happened on August 20, 2015 led to the death of a Ghanaian Times journalist, Samuel Nuamah. About 13 journalists who sustained various degree of injuries in the accident that occurred at Afienya had their medical bills paid by the presidency. But none of the survivors has since been compensated in any form.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, two other journalists sustained minor injuries when one of the vehicles in the vice presidential convoy was involved in an accident while they were on their way to Dominase in the Central Region.
In view of these incidence, Mr Agbenu said they are very passionate about the insurance cover for journalists in Ghana, saying “we are thinking about it very seriously and we have started talking to some media houses so that we can provide insurance cover to journalists who are members of the GJA”.
