Police, Media Smoke Peace Pipe

David Asante Apeatu and other senior police officers in a group photograph with representatives of the various media organizations

The Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, has revealed that about 20 journalists have been abused in Ghana within the past 18 months.

According to him, these reporters were abused by the police, political groups and civilians in their line of duty; hence the police have a critical role to play in ensuring that journalists are always safe.

He was speaking at a forum organised by the MFWA to strengthen the relationship between the police and the media.

He disclosed: “This forum has come at a time when some journalists have been reportedly assaulted by personnel of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) in recent times”.

In attendance were representatives of the National Media Commission (NMC), Editors Forum Ghana (EFG), Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Ghana Community Radio Network (GCRN), various media houses, members of the Police Management Board, Police Public Relations Officers, and among other representatives.

The Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) and some state-owned media could not turn up for the event after the GJA had earlier threatened to boycott the event due to the failure of the police to find the officers who assaulted a journalist from Multimedia, Latiff Iddrisu, in March 2018.

Mr. Sulemana said to end police brutalities against media persons, there was the need for the two organizations to come together to find a lasting solution to the problems and come out with a framework that would guide both institutions in the discharge of their respective duties.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. David Asante Apeatu, in an address, lauded the contribution of the media in enhancing the work of the GPS.

He said: “The media is the voice of the voiceless, eyes of the blind and the ears of the death. The media has been a reliable strategic partner for the police. It serves as a mirror that demystifies our shortcomings. It enables us to continue to learn and develop; hence the unique role by the media in keeping internal security can never be underestimated”.

The IGP stressed that the police, as a human institution, sometimes operate in a manner that appears to threaten the freedom and independence of the media.

“I hope that the forum will lead to mutual understanding between the police and media in finding solutions to our problems,” he added.

The Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission (NMC), George Sarpong, in an address, referred to the police and the media as two institutions bonded 'umbilically'.

He indicated: “We are involved in the same pursuit of developing a good society and rely on each other for information in the discharge of our work.”

The president of the Editors Forum Ghana, Adjoa Yeboah Afari, commended the MFWA for the peace- making role they were playing to solve the issues between the police and the media.

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By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey