Kwabena Agyapong’s man assaults journalist

Joy FM's Northern regional correspondent, Mahama Shaibu has confirmed he was physically assaulted by Abdul Lative, Campaign Manager in Tamale for Kwabena Adjapong, aspiring to the flagbearer post of the ruling government.

Shaibu told myjoyonline.com that he was contributing to a live debate on radio at Diamond FM in Tamale last Thursday, and had concluded that Kwabena Agyepong did not come up as a strong force in the Northern Region to win the NPP's flagbearer race.

To him, Vice President Aliu Mahama, Nana Akufo Addo and Alan Kyeremanteng would be the dominant forces in the election.

His conclusions were based on his personal analyses of the political situation in the north and were in direct answer to a question posed by the programme host.

Abdul Lative, who was not part of the programme but had apparently followed the discussions, stormed the station and demanded that he be given the chance to respond to Shaibu's conclusions.

He was initially refused and asked to contribute by phone, but as he persisted, he was allowed in, only to rain insults on Shaibu and “before he could be shepherd out he slapped me.”

Shaibu said he has reported the assault case to the local chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association to take up the matter.

“I restrained myself from going to the police first in order to give due respect to the institutions put in place to deal with such matters. I am still awaiting word on what they have done about it.

The management of Diamond FM immediately blacklisted Lative from their network, and also promised to see to it that the law dealt with him.