My candid opinion is that leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association ought to stop the every day verbal condemnation on the actions and inactions of people, groups, institutions and individuals who initiate attacks on Journalists, and rather crack the wipe.
The reason is, not once, but continuously, journalists have been attacked and it is likely to increase and yet the only action we get from the Ghana Journalists Association is press conferences to condemn attacks on journalists and media houses.
Mr. President (Dr. Affail Monney), I believe that just condemning these actions is too soft to instil fear in these people who have taken it upon themselves to cause harm on journalists and media houses.
Indeed, Mr. President, most of us live on your words of encouragement and with much hopes to see positive changes on the attacks on journalists, but it seems, day in and out, stories of attacks on journalists are forever increasing which often causes fear and panic to some of us in our line of duties.
These unpalatable stories, Mr. President, do not scare only those of us who are victims or working on the field currently, but also those who have dreams of becoming journalists and also those who love the profession and will want to see it flourish.
Indeed, it saddens the heart as well as brings fear to journalists anytime they hear news of a colleague who has been attacked and the aftermath action is a press conference by the Ghana Journalists Association just to condemn the attack and then nothing is done to punish the perpetrator(s).
This position by the Ghana Journalists Association sometimes makes practicing journalists wonder if indeed we will ever see equal rights and justice in the profession.
In fact, this always make journalists feel low and willing to stop seeking the truth and you know how that can affect the country and the profession, which I guess you don’t want that to happen.
Mr. President, like the wild goat in the forest, she just cries for crying sake, and not because the forest can save her from the hunter; so indeed my piece.
Yes, as people say, it is our wish that some of us choose such a field, but so far as we have you or your outfit, some of us agree that it is now your obligation to protect journalists at all cost like the security agencies protect theirs without questioning.
I however wish, Mr. President, to see or hear actions that will put fear and panic in people who have taken upon themselves to cause unrest among Journalists.
Author
Moses Apiah
abaamoses@gmail.com
