Former President John Mahama has offered his personal apologies to a Joy FM staff, Kwesi Parker Wilson, his camp has said, following an assault on the journalist by security detail.
The incident is said to have occured during the start of Mr Mahama’s five-day tour of the Greater Accra Region ahead of the December 7 presidential primary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
A statement signed by James Agyenim Boateng, Spokesperson for the Mahama 2020 Campaign said the in-charge security has been informed about the incident.
"Our attention has been drawn to an unfortunate incident involving a security personnel and a reporter from Joy FM, Mr Kwesi Parker Wilson, during our meeting with delegates today at the Pentecost University College in the Anya Sowutuom constituency.
The in-charge of security has been informed and the matter is duly being investigated. In the mean time, Former President John Dramani Mahama, has offered his personal apologies to Mr Parker Wilson for the unfortunate incident," the statement read.
How It Happened
Meanwhile details are emerging of the incident following the release of a video shot by a citizen journalist and posted on the website’s iReport platform.
It shows gory details of how the journalist was slapped and severely manhandled after he tried taking a photograph of the former President at a campaign tour on Monday.
The reporter had, among other things, sought to get an exclusive interview with the former President and also attempted taking a photo of the former President to aid him in a report he was filing on the 5-day campaign tour of John Dramani Mahama in the capital, Accra.
But even before the reporter could piece together a report for his station’s evening bulletin, scores of sympathizers pounced on him and assaulted him after he was seen taking a photo of the former President.
Parker-Wilson was left dazed by the assault, as is evident in the video even as some persons close to the scene of the incident moved him away from the parameter of the former President and flagbearer hopeful of the largest opposition party in the country, the NDC.
Watch video of the incident below:
Attack on Journalists
This will not be the first time a journalist is suffering such an attack by members or sympathizers of various political parties in Ghana.
Earlier in the year, some reporters of TV3, Citi FM and GhanaWeb were brutally assaulted by members of the governing NPP’s Invisible Forces. The reporters who got a hint of a planned protest by some members of the ruling New Patriotic Party from the Ellembele constituency to demand a clean register ahead of their elections in January 2018 went to the party office to cover the incident.
But in the discharge of their duties, as mandated by law, the journalists were beaten.
The well-built members of the Invisible Forces allegedly slapped and hit a camera operator with GhanaWeb causing him to fall to the ground. He was then kicked on the ground severely and his camera seized for ‘attempting to shoot without permission.’
For purposes of evidence, below are eleven other incidents of attacks on journalists from January 2017 to March 2018:
February 27, 2017 – Kotoko Express Reporter Attacked: A photojournalist of the Asante Kotoko Expressnewspaper, Gideon Botchway was subjected to physical abuse by a fan and a steward of Ashgold football club in Obuasi during a match between Ashgold and Asante Kotoko.
March 5, 2017– Photo Journalist Attacked, Expelled from Stadium: Officials of Accra Great Olympics attacked a photojournalist, Senyuidzorm Adadevor, at the Accra Sports Stadium during the Accra Great Olympics-WAFA football match.
March 6, 2017 – Soldiers attack a freelance journalist: Soldiers attacked a freelance journalist, Kendrick Ofei during Ghana’s 60th Independence Day celebration at the Independence Square in Accra.
June 27, 2017 – Journalist Physically Attacked, Equipment Seized: A journalist, Isaac Nsiah Foster with Otec FM in Kumasi was attacked by workers at a construction site where he had gone to investigate complaints by local residents about the siting of a project meant for a fuel station.
July 2, 2017 – TV3 Crew Attacked: A three-member crew from TV3 (Myepaul Sowah, Richmond Tanoh and Peter Asare were assaulted by some suspected land guards while investigating encroachment on a piece of public land at Teshie, Accra.
July 3: Photo journalist Assaulted, Camera Destroyed: Some supporters of Asante Kotoko football club attacked a photojournalist with Hearts News,a bi-weekly published by Accra Hearts of Oak Football Club during a ceremonial match between the two clubs. The hooligans also seized the camera of the victim, Daniel Anane Boakye-Yiadom and destroyed it.
October 10, 2017- Chief Assaults Journalist over WhatsApp Criticism: The Omanhene of the Wassa Akropong, Tetre Akuamoah Sekyim II,forced Larry Saint, a journalist with Rivers FM, to kneelin the sun for hours for criticizing him on WhatsApp.
October 18, 2017 – Newspaper Office Attacked by Rampaging Youth: A group of irate youth calling themselves Kumasi Youth Assocaition (KuYA), attacked the regional office of the Daily Guide newspaper, in Kumasi Kumasi, over publications carried by the newspaper on Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
Dec 2, 2017 – Thugs Storm Radio Justice, Attack Presenter: Thugs stormed the studio of Radio Justice, based in Tamale, and assaulted the presenter of a programme and his three panelists, disrupting the live broadcast in the process. The attackers injured the presenter, Yunus Yiripha, and vandalized the console, microphones, computers and furniture.
December 21, 2017 – NPP Security Guards Physically Assault Journalists: Four journalists were physically attacked by some security officers manning the NPP party Headquarters in Accra. The four journalists from TV3, Citi FM and Ghanaweb.com were brutalised by the security guards for covering a protest at the premises of the party headquarters.
February 23, 2018 – Police Brutalise Journalist: Christopher Kevin Asima, a presenter of A1 Radio in Bolgatanga, was attacked by police while he was covering a fire outbreak incident.
Sadly from all the incidents listed above and several others, no perpetrators have been punished. At best, the cases die with mere assurances of investigations by the police.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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SHAME, SHAME, SHAME TO GHANA POLITICS AND ITS APOSTLES. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME.
Can we assume that Former President is a violent person per NDC's theory of a violent person? Because if it were to be Nana Addo then NDC would have tell the whole world that Nana is a violent man.
This is barbaric, vicious, ferocious, fierce, barbarous and very cruel to say the least!
@Albert, stop lying because we all saw the video and there was nothing like slap or uppercut.
SANK you are really sick in the head wai. Intolerant Ndc.
You see backward you are? Someone is beaten. Instead of you to stick to the issue, you are here talking about what happened in past. With some of thinking this way, Ghana will never progress. If it happened yesterday does is make it right today?
I THINK NDC IS NOW AWAKING TO THE REALITY THAT IT HAS TO CONTROL ITS OWN AFFAIRS AND NOT TO ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE TO RUN THE AFFAIRS FOR THE NDC. DOING THE RIGHT THINGS AND THINKING THAT OTHER WILL DO SAME OR EXPECTING OPPONENTS WILL EXERCISE REASONABLE AND COMMONSENSE IN DEALING WITH YOU WILL NEVER BE SO. AT BEST THE OPPONENT WILL CONSIDER YOUR GOOD INTENTIONS TO BE WEAKNESS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU. NDC MUST CONTROL IT AFFAIRS INCLUDING SECURITY. NO ENEMY SHOULD BE ALLOWED BEYOND BOUNDS. EVEN, NPP MEMBERS BEAT NET 2 WORKERS ALWAYS HOW MUCH MORE JOY WHICH TELL LIES AND COOKED NON-EXISTING STORIES ABOUT NDC?
But where is the slap. That is what is important. We want to see how hefty the slap was.
This is not news, nana addo's bodyguard gave his own supporter an uppercut for trying to shake the hand of nana addo. However, this barbaric act of assaulting people who try to either speak to our leaders or shake their hands is uncalled for. Yes, leaders have to be protected, but people shouldn't not be assaulted just because they are getting closer to our leaders. The npp are already bleeding profusely because of voilence so this is going to give them the previllge to use as twaapiah( chewing stick). They make reference to this every minutes, ignoring the fact that nana addo had his body guard assaulting his own supporter trying to say hi to him. All as assaults are condemnable.
Now we all know who is intolerant in the Ghanaian political space. I was expecting him (Ex. President) to make comment like he does on every issue of this country. Desparation is what is killing him. You will not win power today nor tomorrow. You're soo intolerant.