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Broadcast Journalist, Daasebre Agyei Dwamena, working for Kumasi-based radio Ashh FM, a pro-New Patriotic Party (NPP) radio station who has been reported missing since the December 7, 2016 general elections was found alive and brought to Kumasi last Saturday night. 

His appearance brought to a halt several rumours that he had been kidnapped by some detractors or that he had been used for rituals to guarantee the victory for the NPP or that he had just gone into hiding to become more popular when found. 
 
However, on Sunday morning at 1000 hours, the journalist publicly broke his silence when he stated on Ashh 101.1 FM, that he was neither kidnapped nor missing. 

He said he deliberately went into hiding to pray for the victory of the NPP from the day of the election (December 7, 2016) till the day of the swearing in (January 7, 2017) and that there was no need to make his intentions known then.  

He used the opportunity to thank all and sundry who joined in the search for him during the period. 

Call for his arrest

While some members of the public have expressed disappointment in him for causing fear, panic and insecurity among the public, a section of his colleague media practitioners have called for his arrest for what they call "deliberate game plan". 

Sharing their views on some Whatsapp platforms, some media practitioners were of the view that his act was an affront to modern journalism practice and that he must be called to order.  

They however, suspected that management of the station (Ashh FM) had collaborated with him on the grounds of popularity and called on the police to interrogate him and investigate the matter thoroughly. 

 Background

Daasebre Agyei Dwamena, 54, on December 7, 2016 was scheduled to provide media coverage of the 2016 general election in the Bekwai Constituency where he used the opportunity to exercise his franchise at his home town, Akyeremade near Kokofu in the same constituency.  

He was said to have made a report from different polling stations that day but attempts by the radio station to contact him for polling station and collation centre results proved futile. 

Neither efforts by his employers nor family and friends to know his whereabouts were materialised of which formal complaint was lodged to the Police to mount a search for him. 

Family of the journalist reported the matter to the Kokofu Traditional Authority after which it made another report to Manhyia Palace through Baffuor Asabre Kwagyawsuo Arabic III, the Sumankwahene of Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. 

A bounty of GH¢ 33, 000.00 was placed on him but the search for him came to naught till he personally informed his employers he was in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region. 

During the period of the search, he was last seen on WhatsApp on Sunday, December 25 at 000:36 connoting that either he was hiding somewhere using his phone or a kidnapper was using his phone for some information.  

A media group,  the Society of Adventists in Media, Ghana (SAM) of which Daasebre Dwamena is a member and his station Ashh FM, had early on, in separate occasions presented envelopes of an undisclosed amount to the family to help in the upkeep of the children of the journalist. 

Two media groups, The Press Foundation (TPF) and the Concerned Journalists of Ashanti also launched the "Operation Find Journalist Dead or Alive" and petitioned the Ashanti Regional Police Command to update the media and the public on police investigations of the missing journalist.