The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has condemned two incidents of assaults on journalists by soldiers while performing their duties.
The assaults, the GJA insists, are highly unprofessional, brutish, barbaric and a blot on the image of a military institution held in high esteem in peacekeeping operations across the world.
The Association called on the Military High Command to redeem its imade by investigating the incidents and applying appropriate punishments for these unprofessional conduct.
The incidents involved a TV Africa reporter, Samuel Adobah in the Greater Accra on good Friday and Yussif Abdul Ganiyu of Deutsche Welle on 5th April in the Ashanti Region.
Mr. Adobah had gone to Olebu in the Ga Central Municipality to cover a fire outbreak.
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However, while filming the incident, a soldier sneaked up from behind and slapped him, and also kicked him several times while still on the ground.
The soldier, identified as Damfour, also trampled Adobah’s mobile phone and destroyed it.
In the second incident, which occurred at Akrem in the Asokore Mampong Municipality in the Ashanti Region, Yussif Abdul Ganiyu, while conducting an interview outside St Patrick Hotel, was assaulted by a military officer identified as 2nd Lt Betrot Ampoma, for no just reason.
A release by the GJA described the incidents as unfortunate, especially the second which happened barely 24 hours after the President had delivered his broadcast to the nation on COVID-19 Update 6 during which he called on the security agencies enforcing the law on lockdown to refrain from human rights abuses.
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“The GJA has already been in touch with the Military Authorities who have given assurance to deal with the matter.”
“We call on the police to investigate the two cases expeditiously to bring the culprits to face the full rigors of the law, ” the statement said.
The GJA indicated it is exploring legal options to find justice for the two, stressing that in a democratic dispensation, the rule of law must prevail and be upheld at all times over the rule of brute.
The Association appealed to President Akufo-Addo, as Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, to denounce the unprofessional conduct of the soldiers and ensure they are duly sanctioned.
“In as much as we appreciate the role of the security agencies enforcing the law, particularly the lockdown directives by the President, enforcing the law in its breach is rather ridiculous.”
It warned there are better and more civil ways to enforce the law on lockdown than the resort to brute.
And added, “In as much as we appreciate the role of the security agencies enforcing the law, particularly the lockdown directives by the President, enforcing the law in its breach is rather ridiculous,” the GJA said.
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By: Uthman A. Marani/Frontpageghana.com/Ghana
