Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Ahlaji Inusah Fuseini has described comments by Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah on the alleged vandalized vehicle of the convener of the Free Media Vanguard, Prince Minkah as derogatory.
The convener of the media advocacy group car was broken into less than 24 hours after the group embarked on a procession to protest the closure of some media houses by the National Communications Authority (NCA) especially Radio Gold and Radio XYZ of which Prince Minkah is an employee of the latter media outlet.
Speaking on this development, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah indicated that it is possible for the owner of the car to damage his own vehicle.
“This may sound a bit unfair to say…It may be a bit unfair. We have been in this country when Ministers of state have said there has been a gunshot in their car or their car has been shot at. I’ve not mentioned any name. But later when it ended at the police station the evidence was that the gunshot was from his car. I’m not saying that’s happening, but anything is possible, he emphasized”.
Commenting on the remarks by the Information Minister on Accra based Pan African T.V’s current affairs programme which is also on radiogold905fm on face book, AHLAJI & AHLAJI the Tamale Central legislator explained that Mr. Oppong Nkrumah cast innuendoes at Prince Minikah.
“That’s very derogatory. We are in this country where somebody said that he was shot from outside his car and investigations established that the gun was shot from his car. We are in this country where a journalist said after leading a demonstration, he has been attacked and he is drawing inferences that the attack could have been self inflicted, how can you be insensitive in your condemnation of a fellow journalist”.
Ahlaji Inusah Fuseini also expressed confidence in the police to unravel the identity of those who committed that crime.
“I think that the security establishment has a responsibility to arrive at who are behind this attack and to punish the perpetrators to send a message at least that we have now taken the responsibility of protecting journalists seriously, he indicated”.
He also indicated that the recent murder of Ahmed Suale has been cited has one of the attacks on journalists across the world.
“In fact the killing of Ahmed Suale has entered into the records of Congress on human rights and particularly attacks on journalists in the United States of America. It has competed for space with Khashoggi’s murder, so the condemnations that came as a result of Khashoggi’s case across the world, should also attach to Ahmed Suale. This is the first time we are finding a report from American Congress detailing human rights violations, citing Ghana and its attacks on journalists under Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo, Ahlaji Fuseini emphasized”.
The Tamale Central legislator also outlined some instances of attacks on journalists in the country including that of Manasseh Azure and Edward Adeti.
Story by: Henry George Martinson/radiogoldlive.com
