Graphic Chapter of GJA commiserates with Times
The journalism fraternity has been challenged to use the tragic death of the Ghanaian Times reporter, Samuel Nuamah, to reflect on ways to ensure the safety of journalists.
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“We can’t run away from the fact that travelling forms an essential part of our work. But we have to look at the safety issues, so that the tragedy does not happen again,” the Managing Director of the News Times Corporation (NTC), Ms Carol Annang, said when a delegation from the GJA Chapter of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) visited the company to commiserate with their staff.
We must enhance standard of protection
Ms Annang, who expressed appreciation to the GCGL for the show of support during the NTC’s moment of grief, said the show of solidarity over Nuamah’s death had been overwhelming.
“The reactions we’ve got from all quarters show that it was not just a journalist who died in his line of work but somebody who made an impression on people before passing on,” she said.
There must be a turnaround
She rallied the media fraternity in Ghana, saying the moment of grief and pain should not be the only time the inky fraternity should get together, adding that the unfortunate event should be a turnaround for the Ghanaian media to engage one another.
GCGL consoles
Earlier, the Director of Newspapers of the GCGL, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, had said the visit was for the GJA-GCGL to share in the grief of the NTC and also comfort their colleagues.
“We were expecting a story but, unfortunately, we became the story. We keep asking how and why it happened. We are sorry for what has happened but life must go on.
“Our brother, although the life he lived was short, lived it well. Our prayer is that we will meet him one day in Paradise,” Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh said.
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Following a request made by the Editor of the Daily Graphic Mr Ransford Tetteh, the News Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Nehemia Owusu Achiaw, shared a word of prayer with the staff of the NTC Newsroom to enable God to strengthen them in their moment of grief.
The group later signed a book of condolence opened in Nuamah’s memory.
The Graphic delegation
Among the GCGL delegation were the Chairman of the GJA-GCGL, Mr Vance Azu; the Deputy Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr K.K. Inkoom; the Business and Foreign Page Editor, Ms Kate Baaba Hudson; the Gender and Health Page Editor, Ms Salomey Donkor; the Assitant Editor of the Graphic Business, Mr Charles Benoni Okine; the acting Head of Design, Mr Ebenezer Nyarko; the Deputy Online Editor, Mr Enoch Darfah Frimpong, and Ms Mary Mensah, the Public Affairs Officer of the GJA.
Meanwhile, the one-week celebration of Nuamah’s passing is scheduled for Saturday at the Ghana International Press Centre.
Tragedy
Nuamah died on the spot in an accident at Doryumu Junction near the Shai Hills.
He was part of a number of journalists assigned to the Presidency who were on the accident vehicle. Others, including, the Daily Graphic’s Kwame Asare Boadu, who sustained serious life-threatening injuries, have been discharged.
They were initially taken to the Shai Hills Military Training School Clinic and later transferred to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.
The journalists were returning to Accra from Ho where President John Mahama had attended the annual convention of the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church.
There were 12 people on the vehicle, a Ford GMC with registration number GB 506 – 12.
According to the police, the left rear tyre of the vehicle burst and the vehicle veered off the road.
The late Nuamah left behind a wife and a child.