GJA, others blacklist Yendi MP Farouk Mahama for assaulting Citi News reporter
By Selorm GBORBIDZI, Accra
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), along with its partners, the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) and The Private Newspapers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), has declared a media blacklist of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Yendi, Farouk Aliu Mahama, over his alleged assault of journalist Mohammed Aminu Alalbira during the party’s parliamentary primaries.
The decision to blacklist, contained in a 4-point resolution, will also be enforced in Parliament by the Parliamentary Press Corps of all media houses.
During a press conference held yesterday to elucidate the Association’s plans, GJA President Albert Kwabena Dwumfour declared: “All media houses must BLACKLIST and offer Farouk Aliu Mahama no media coverage, interviews, etc. as the MP for Yendi and any other state position he holds until further notice. We want you to know that apart from him being insensitive to the work of journalists (as demonstrated during the Parliamentary Primaries), there are vigilantes around him who may harm you. So, just steer clear of him and his thugs.”
Dwumfour also addressed the national and regional leadership of the NPP, urging them to “seek justice for our colleague, Mohammed Amin Alalbira, by sanctioning the MP and his hoodlums appropriately.”
He appealed to the Ghana Police Service to expedite its investigations into the case and arraign the perpetrators before court to face the full rigors of the law for their distasteful conduct, reminding them that their officers were witnesses to the incident as it occurred.
The GJA President issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Police Administration to arrest the persons caught on video assaulting the journalist.
He cautioned all media houses, owners, and management who intend to defy the directive, under the belief that their reporters will not come under attack, that they will bear the guilt of any journalists who may be killed.
He stated, “if we had taken action in the past, we are sure Ahmed Suale would have been alive today. Never again! Never Again!”
Selorm Adonoo, Head of Legal at CitiFM, provided an update on the matter, stating that the case had been referred to the Attorney General’s (AG) Office for advice.
He expressed the pain and disappointment felt by the media outfit, emphasizing that a sitting MP attacking a journalist in the line of duty without provocation cannot be overlooked.
Representative Abdul Majeed Yakub from the Northern Regional branch of the GJA noted that unwarranted attacks on media practitioners have been on the rise in recent times, causing concern for media professionals in the country.
He rallied all journalists to join the fight to protect the rights of journalists to practice their craft, stating, “this is not a private fight. Let us join hands in this.”
