The Eastern Regional branch of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) says it is constrained under the prevailing circumstance in taking action on the alleged assault on Daily Guide Newspaper reporter by Eastern Regional Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party.
A statement issued by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) under the signature of the Regional Chairman Maxwell Kudekor said the Association has taken notice of news publications that the Regional NPP Organiser, Kwame Appiah Kodua, slapped the Regional Reporter for Daily Guide, Daniel Bampoe during the Party’s Regional Delegates Conference held at the Presbyterian Training College at Kyebi in the East Akyem Municipality on Sunday, October 17, 2021.
The statement said “As an Association keenly interested in the welfare of its members as well as the welfare of any other journalist in the Region, we took interest in the matter and initiated action to ascertain the veracity of the story.
Hours later, after receiving a direct report from Daniel Bampoe, I impressed upon him to, as a matter of urgency, report the case with the police. But he declined the advice.
Subsequently, Daniel Bampoe copied the ER GJA a petition he had written to the NPP hierarchy in the Eastern Region, narrating his side of the story and requesting the Party hierarchy to take action on the NPP Regional Organiser, Kwame Appiah Kodua”.
The statement continued that “Daniel Bampoe narrated that on Sunday, October 17, 2021, he was invited to cover the first session of the NPP Regional Delegates Conference.
He wrote that, at the commencement of the second session which was strictly out of bounds for the media, it started raining heavily and he, therefore, decided to enter to find shelter in the main hall where the business session was ongoing. However, Mr. Kodua who was the MC spotted him sitting at the back of the MPs.
Bampoe said upon the instruction of Mr. Kodua, the Deputy Regional Secretary, Nana Yaw Papin, and the Regional Communication Director of the NPP, David Prah, prompted and escorted him outside the hall; but Kodua still pursued him and slapped him on the allegation that he (Bampoe) had sneaked into the hall and was secretly recording the proceedings”.
According to the GJA, the NPP party however denied the allegation of assault on the Daily Guide Reporter and even dared him to show evidence and to report the matter to the police if indeed he felt he was assaulted by Mr. Kodua.
“The Party indicated a similar narration as Bampoe did but sharply differed that “Mr. Kodua never lifted a finger at him.”
They also raised that to get Bampoe out of the hall, he engaged in a confrontation with the Party people.
The NPP said the confrontation raised eyebrows and attracted Mr. Kodua to the scene that only went to caution Daniel Bampoe not to mar the beauty of the program and he left to continue to moderate his program”
The Eastern Regional GJA believes that under no circumstances should a journalist be manhandled “since we are not living in the jungle. There are and will always be several ways of resolving an issue responsibly. And thus, if the Daily Guide Reporter’s allegation is anything to go buy, we vehemently condemn such assault any day.
As an Association, we would not want to justify the action of the journalist of entering into a business meeting of party delegates when he was not supposed to be in there; but, of course, that does not also warrant any assault on him”
The GJA maintained its readiness to support the Journalist to get justice but bemoaned the Association is constrained.
“Since he has declined to take it up and has rather chosen to settle the matter with the party people by himself, the Association is constrained in taking further action.
We are guided by similar instances where assaulted journalists, being supported by the GJA, later betrayed and deserted the Association midway by becoming one with their attackers instead.
When Daniel Bampoe decides otherwise, the ER GJA is ever ready to give all the needed assistance and backing to take the matter further.
We wish to reiterate that, as an Association that deals with facts and evidence, we are still furthering our private investigations to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the allegation under the circumstance”. The statement concluded.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
