President John Dramani Mahama has confirmed that officers of the Ghana National Fire Service who assaulted a Class FM journalist have been identified and interdicted, as investigations into the incident continue.
The President made this known during a visit to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), where he condemned the attack and described violence against journalists as unacceptable in a democratic society.
“I’m a journalist by training, and so there’s no way we can countenance the continued assault on journalists,” President Mahama said. He disclosed that the government has been engaging the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and security agencies to address the matter and prevent future incidents.
“We’ve been in touch with the Ghana Journalists Association on these issues. We’ve put them in touch with the security services,” he stated.
President Mahama stressed the need for a change in attitude among some security personnel, noting that journalists and security officers play complementary roles in society.
“We need a reorientation of many of our security personnel to understand that just as they are doing their job of providing peace and safety, journalists are also doing their job of informing the people as to what is happening. They’re not antagonistic to each other. Indeed, they’re both serving the same public,” he explained.
While acknowledging that such incidents may occur, the President said they must be addressed decisively.
“When they come, they must be dealt with as firmly as possible,” he added.
President Mahama further revealed that the Minister of Government Communications is already handling the issue and confirmed that disciplinary action has been taken against the officers involved.
“The officers have been identified. They’ve been interdicted, and an investigation is ongoing. But we won’t countenance assault on journalists,” he stated.