2020 Electoral violence: Journalist’s life shattered
Pius Asiedu, a 32-year-old journalist, had his life forever changed on December 8, 2020, when he fell victim to the brutal electoral violence that ravaged a collation centre in the Ablekuma Central Constituency.
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As a dedicated journalist with the Global Newswatch, an online portal, Pius had always been passionate about telling the stories that mattered. However, on that fateful day, he became the story.
The futile act of aggression left him with devastating injuries, including a shattered leg that would require multiple surgeries to repair.
On December 7, 2020, Pius was shot while reporting as an accredited journalist for Global Newswatch at the Ablekuma Central Constituency collation centre at the Mataheko Police Church.
The incident began as a misunderstanding between NPP and NDC polling agents over a disputed pink sheet from Sabon Zongo. The argument escalated into a fight, and soon, the room was in chaos.
“While covering the scene, I heard a gunshot and quickly ran for cover. I was hit by a third shot, which swept me off my feet, and I fell to the ground. I was left to bleed for some time before a good Samaritan helped me to the Cocoa Clinic at Kaneshie,” he said.
“The police later arrested the shooter at Odododiodio after he escaped from the scene. The police informed him of the arrest when they came to take my statement. I was not targeted or aimed at; I was simply caught in the crossfire while doing my job as a journalist," he added.
Throughout this experience, medication and physiotherapy have been a daily routine for Pius. He now uses two crutches anytime he makes a move to walk.
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Affliction
Puis is now suffering from a Tibia fracture, which resulted in bone loss from his Tibia, the larger of the two bones between the knee and the ankle.
The doctors' diagnosis was a harsh reality check for Pius, who had always been active and independent.
As Pius lay in the hospital, his body broken and battered, he could not have imagined that the road to recovery would be so long and arduous.
Glimmer of hope
The first surgery, performed on December 11, 2020, offered a glimmer of hope, but it was only the beginning of a journey marked by countless setbacks and disappointments.
In the past few years, Pius had undergone several more surgeries, each one a testament to his unyielding spirit and determination to walk again. But with every procedure came new challenges: infections, dead bone and the excruciating pain that seemed to never subside.
“Three months after the first surgery, I went for review and my doctor prescribed another surgery with the reason that the previous one was not successful,” he said.
As a journalist, Pius had always been driven by a passion for truth and justice. But now, he finds himself in the other side of the story, fighting for his justice and struggling to make ends meet. His career was put on hold, and his future was uncertain.
Meanwhile, the wheels of justice turned at a glacial pace. The suspect, Collins Quarcoo, was apprehended and arraigned in court, but the case stalled due to the lack of a forensic analysis report on the weapons used in the attack.
Pius watched in frustration as the court adjourned time and time again, his hopes for justice and closure slipping further away with each passing day.
As the months dragged on, Pius's financial situation grew increasingly dire. He is unable to work or complete his university education, forced to rely on the charity of others to survive. He begged for money to buy medication and food, his dignity worn off by the constant struggle to make ends meet.
Indifference and neglect
Despite his efforts to seek assistance from authorities and well-known individuals, Pius was met with indifference and neglect.
His pleas for help were ignored, his messages blocked and his aid applications rejected. He felt like a ghost, invisible and forgotten in a society that seemed to have moved on without him.
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Desperate for answers, Pius turned to authorities and officials for assistance. He reached out to politicians but his pleas for help fell on deaf ears.
Undeterred, Pius filed a Right to Information (RTI) request, seeking details about his case from the CID and National Security. However, his request was met with silence, and he was forced to file an internal review and later petition the RTI Commission.
National Security
The CID and National Security were eventually penalised for their failure to respond, but Pius still awaits the information he so desperately needs.
In a bizarre twist, the suspect, Collins Quarcoo, suggested that Pius try herbal treatment, and even offered to finance it. Pius, desperate for a solution, agreed to visit the Dadzeban Herbal Centre, but the treatment offered little relief.
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Prohibitive cost
And yet, Pius refused to give up. He continued to fight for justice, for his health and his very survival. He scoured the city for medical options, seeking out new treatments and surgeries that might finally restore his leg to full function.
But the costs were prohibitive, and Pius found himself facing a new and daunting challenge: raising the $20,000 to $40,000 needed for a bone transport surgery abroad.
The sum seemed insurmountable, a mountain range that stretched out before him with no clear path to the summit.
As the years passed, Pius's story became a testament to the failures of the justice system and the neglect of victims of violence. His plea for help is a reminder of the need for compassion, support and accountability.
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Would anyone answer his call for help, or would he remain forever lost in the shadows, a forgotten victim of a senseless act of aggression?
