The Media Foundation for West Africa has condemned the attack on some journalists by Security personnel at the NPP headquarters in Accra.
In a statment released on Friday, December 22, 2017, the organisation called on the party's leadership to ensure swift punishment for the perpetrators.
According to the statement, "The MFWA is shocked at this wanton assault on journalists carrying out their legitimate duties. The incident is particularly alarming because... Sam Payne, reportedly shrugged off the complaints of other journalists when he later arrived at the party headquarters".
Read the full statement below:
The Media Foundation for West Africa MFWA has learnt with dismay the attack on four journalists and a driver by vigilantes of the New Patriotic Party at the party’s Headquarters in Accra on December 21, 2107, and wishes to call on the party’s leadership to ensure swift punishment for the perpetrators.
We are informed that journalists from the news website Ghanaweb.com as well as Citi FM and TV3 were covering a demonstration by aggrieved supporters of the NPP from the Ellembelle Constituency of the Western Region of Ghana when they were physically assaulted by some heavily-built men manning the party headquarters.
While filming the scene, TV3 cameraman, Godfred Tanam was attacked by the rampaging security guards. Reporter Prince Afum was also attacked, together with the driver of the TV3 crew, Emmanuel Gaddriy, when he (Afum) protested against the manhandling of Tanam. The keys to the trio’s official car were also seized.
The thugs also beat up the Ghanaweb.com cameraman as he was filming the NPP supporters’ protest. He was slapped, violently pushed onto the ground and kicked. The Managing Editor of Ghanaweb.com, Edward-Smith Anamale later told to the MFWA that his cameraman had to receive hospital treatment for bodily pains, dizziness and trauma.
A reporter from Citi FM was also attacked by a female party loyalist and the heavily built party vigilantes who broke her spectacles and seized her phones together with her bag. The seized items were however returned to her moments later.
The MFWA is shocked at this wanton assault on journalists carrying out their legitimate duties. The incident is particularly alarming because the Deputy National Secretary of the NPP, Sam Payne, reportedly shrugged off the complaints of other journalists when he later arrived at the party headquarters.
We wish to take the opportunity to condemn the growing acts of lawlessness by NPP vigilante groups since the party regained power in January 2017 as well as the culture of vigilantism that is becoming a norm among Ghana’s political parties.
We call on the leadership of the NPP to punish the perpetrators of the assault on the journalists to demonstrate the party’s intolerance and abhorrence of such violent conduct.
Source: MFWA
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I feel sorry for citifm and NPP must apologize to them but for TV3 and Ghanaweb they should forget about them they are doing the work of the ndc.Next te wait to be called before you go there, you can't just get up and say democracy gives you the power to enter every house without any invitation. Next time TV3 and their Kwesi Pratt "3se kobonso" should keep off NPP office and you ghanaweb you think they don't know where you stand? What are you going to do there? when you allow ndc footsoldiers to insult their leaders and you don't want them to reply with the same Vernom. Why are you happy with your enemies misunderstanding ?you went there to publish to paint the party black they did well to shut you off It is good they gave you a good beatings you deserve that and more. No apology to nobody except citifm, nobody called TV3 and Ghanaweb except they were there for ndc mission which was impossible by the help of those well built wise guys. ***barred word*** !
TV3 is ndc media so why would they go there for what? I support those who mishandled them 100% next time they should mind their own business, the same as Ghanaweb, what do they need there? They allow ndc footsoldier to insult and denigrate our leaders on their platforms and they block you when you rebuttal ndc stup*d comments. Why are they happy about NPP members demonstrating against themselves if not inquisitive to blackmail the party. They think those guys don't know those who hate their party