The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has condemned the attack on a Citi FM/TV reporter by “National Democratic Congress (NDC) thugs” on Friday, October 13, 2023.

The GJA has called on the Ghana Police Service to immediately arrest and prosecute the thugs, who assaulted the reporter, Akosua Otchere, while she was covering the vetting of aspirants for the party’s Odododiodio Constituency primary.

The GJA also called on state and non-state actors, as well as the international community to condemn the attack.

In a press release issued on October 14, the GJA said that the attack on Ms. Otchere was an act of insanity that must not be allowed to fester in Ghana’s body politic.

The GJA said it expected the NDC leadership or the party as an institution to protect the news team from harm, and the thugs to refrain from making them objects of attack in their internal party skirmishes.

The GJA added that it has put its legal team on standby as it prepares to meet the Inspector-General of Police on Monday to discuss pertinent matters, including the recent attacks on the Citi FM/TV journalist and UTV.

The GJA said that it will go every length under the law to deal with political actors and individuals who may attack journalists as Ghana gears up for the 2024 electioneering.

It called on political parties in particular and other stakeholders to educate their members to refrain from attacking journalists and learn to channel their grievances, if any, through the appropriate avenues as dictated by the rule of law and practised in civilised states.

The GJA further encouraged journalists and media practitioners never to be intimidated by such attacks, and to defy them and always stay faithful to the public interest.

It assured that the media will continue to serve as a bridge between the government and the governed, and that no individual or group will be allowed to destroy that bridge, no matter the tactics they may employ.

Source: GraphicOnline