GJA to name Investigative Journalist of the Year award after Ahmed

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) wants to immortalise slain journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale by naming the Investigative Journalist of the Year category of its annual awards after him.

The association of Ghanaian journalists says that although it is yet to conclude the modalities for the category, it is hopeful that the award will be a fitting tribute to Ahmed who was gunned down on January 16, 2019, in Accra.

The 32-year-old member of the Tiger Eye PI was leaving home in his car when two men said to be riding a motorbike shot him three times at Madina and bolted.

The GJA President Affail Monney made this known when he addressed a memorial service in honour of Ahmed on Friday in Accra.

"We believe he (Ahmed) has done something which should not be made to vanish with the passage of time," Mr Monney said in an interview with GraphicOnline.

He added: "So we are going to honour him with a category in investigative journalism. This is also to encourage young journalists".

No discrimination by GJA

Mr Monney also responded to critics who have taken issue with the GJA coming to the aid of Ahmed who was not a registered member of the body.

He said the GJA was affiliated and modelled after the International Federation of Journalists - a body which does not discriminate between registered and non-registered members.

"We don't discriminate between registered and non-registered members of the association, we do not discriminate. The International Federation of Journalists which we are affiliated does not discriminate between a registered journalist or a non-registered journalist and we are affiliated to them," he said.

According to him, the GJA has professional solidarity with Ahmed's boss Anas Aremeyaw Anas and as such anything that affects Anas also affects the body.