The Safety Of Journalism At Stake In Ghana.

The Ghanaian Media is faced with a whole lot of vilifications, abuses and brutalities, if even they have erred, are these acts the right ways to solve the problem. What will become of our nation if journalism dies, who will broadcast our nation to the world?

Journalism in Ghana dates back in 1882 under the leadership of Sir Charles McCarthy with the first newspaper Royal Gold Coast Gazette. Since then many journalists and media houses have sprung up in the country, journalism is the cornerstone of every democratic society because of the platform it provides for opinions, criticisms and content sharing. Ghana has been a strong convener of press freedom over the years, with chapter twelve of the 1992 constitution stating emphatically clear the rights and freedoms of journalists in the country.

But lately the safety of journalists has dwindled making Ghana a not so much peaceful and comfortable zone for journalists to operate, in the last few years we've had some brutalities and abuses meted out to journalists which has negatively affected its rank on the African Press Freedom Index and World Press Freedom Index. Currently Ghana stands at number three on the African Press Freedom Index moving a step forward from its second position. Out of 180 countries in the world Ghana stands at number thirty from its twenty seventh position in 2018. This has shown that the country has done relatively too little to uphold press freedom and kick against censorship, number one is what we need for our democracy to stand and for journalists to be able to work freely and clearly but from what we are seeing and witnessing number one surely will be hard to get.

Brutalities and abuses against journalists have risen to high extremities in the country, the constitution which protects and gives journalists the freedom to operate has been totally forgotten. Citizens have found different ways to promote censorship in the country by either verbally abusing them or physically brutalising them, it is true to say that journalists are not most of the time ethical in their line of their duty but abuses and brutalities are not the correct ways to right the wrongs. The constitution which stated that journalists have a right to freedom also outlined a good and responsible punishment for journalists who flouts the rules or exceeds their boundaries.

Per records journalism has really suffered some form of threats and abuses from civilians, politicians and security personels.

BRUTALITIES AGAINST JOURNALISTS.

1. Media Foundation For West Africa reports on record that from January 2017 to March 2018 over more than eleven brutalities were meted out to journalists.

2. On Wednesday, January 16, 2019 Tiger Eye investigative journalist Ahmed Suale was gunned down by unknown armed motorists few days after sitting member of parliament Kennedy Agyapong called disclosed his identity on live TV, telling citizenry to beat him up if any one of them finds him in their area.

3. On 12_th August, 2020 Sanley Nii Blewu and Joseph Armstrong of Tv3 were threatened by security personels from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly taskforce and some police men and soldiers after they had done a report about sanitation at the Tema station. The journalists said they were forced by the security personels to delete the images they had captured.

4. On 20_th July the police briefly harassed and arrested Rebecca Asheley of Kingdom FM for taking pictures at an NPP primaries.

5. Two modern Ghana journalists Emmanuel Ajafor Abugari and Emmanuel Yeboah Britwum were arrested by National Security officers. They were sent to their office for interrogation, on the account of them hacking into the email account of National Security Minister Albert Kan Dapaah for information. Abugari narrated that he was tied, slapped, and shocked with a taser during his interrogation.

6. About two months ago Caleb Kudah of Citi TV was manhandled by National Security operatives at their office because he took pictures at their office premises. On accounts Caleb said he was made to pass through ordeals of slaps and kicks from the heavily trained officers.

7. The latest on the table has to deal with threats from Kennedy Agyapong again on another journalist. Erastus Asare Donkor a journalist of Multimedia has been threatened by Kennedy Agyapong the Assin Central MP, he called out on live TV for Erastus to be beaten because to him certain comments he made before the committee inquiring into the Ejura shooting incident were not supposed to be made.

These and many more other brutalities have had a condemning effect on the Ghanaian media, a surprising aura of impunity has found its way in the country with most or all of these perpetrators not being dealt with. Ahmed Suale's killers up till now have not been caught, security operatives who have always had a hand in these cases have not been sanctioned, the MP who breached the criminal code Act section 74 of 1996 was not dealt with drastically after he threatened Ahmed Suale on live TV. Because of that he has done it again which I think this time must not be taken lightly. A law maker should not be breaking the law, truth be told if all of us were to attack and threaten others because of an unprofessional act we think those people have committed, will Ghana be safe.

The Honourable MP knows better he cannot threaten someone and have his way, I think the law this time must rise and take this issue up with drastic measures. We will be treading on an a very scary part if we allow him to go free again. I am happy the Speaker of Parliament has called him before the priveleges committee, but he has gone there before and nothing happened. An action has to be taken now to prevent impending ones from taking place.

A threat against journalism means a threat against the state, and therefore article 162(1) of the constitution must be respected, if not the theory of Ghana's law not being able to work on the practical side will forever remain. Ghana For Us All.

By Adom Desmond