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The Western Regional Chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has expressed disappointment at presidential staffer, Stan Dogbe in his recent response to an accident involving some journalists from Takoradi in the Western Region.

The journalists, numbering 10, were returning to Takoradi after covering the commissioning of a community senior high school at Bameanko by President John Mahama, when the mini bus they were travelling in was involved in the accident.

Two of them, Nana Yaw Obrempong, a Citi FM correspondent, and one Ebo, a cameraman for Viasat1 TV, were injured.
However, in an attempt to set the records straight, Mr Dogbe issued a disclaimer on Facebook saying that the presidential convoy was not involved in an accident as reported by the media.

He wrote: “There has been no accident involving the Flagstaff House Press Corps or any vehicle from the Flagstaff House in the Western Region.

"The team with the President on his ‪#‎Changinglives tour of the Western Region has long arrived in the Central Region.

"At least, as leader of the Communications Team on this trip, none of the media houses engaged in this irresponsible reports have contacted me or the Minister for Communications, Edward Omane Boamah to verify the story.”

But in an interview, the Western Regional President of the GJA, Moses Aklorbortu described the statement by Mr Dogbe as insensitive and in an attempt to insulate the presidency from the accident.

He said as journalists, they did not need an invitation to give coverage to the president since it is their role to inform and educate the public.

He said, “It was obvious that we were not invited but trained journalists that we are, we have been trained to nose around and get the story. President of the Republic of Ghana, John Mahama and a journalist himself knows very well that we are not supposed to be invited. The journalists came to the place and duly identified themselves as such. He doesn’t need to invite us. We agree that there is the presidential press corps that follows the president and we in the regions coordinate with them most of the time when they get here.”

Mr Aklorbortu said what was expected of Mr Dogbe in a case as this was for him to sympathise with the victims rather than respond in an aggressive manner on issues concerning journalists.

“I don’t think this kind of head-on collision with the media and Stan Dogbe’s alacrity will help anybody. I was not happy with the tweet that went with the story that the people were not part of the presidential corps,” he said.