'Journalists not safe': Ashigbey urges President Mahama to act or risk more deaths

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, has warned that the continued failure to punish attacks on journalists could lead to further tragic deaths like that of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM on Thursday, July 31, 2025, Dr Ashigbey, an advocate for media freedom, said the growing trend of unpunished violence against journalists was encouraging lawlessness and must be addressed through legal and institutional reforms.

“If we had taken action, for example, in the case of Asamoah Gyan and his brother (Baffour Gyan), who sadly assaulted a journalist in Kumasi and prosecuted them properly, I’m quite certain Ahmed Suale would still be alive,” he said.

“When a Member of Parliament threatens to ‘beat the hell out of a journalist’, what happens to that person?”

Dr Ashigbey urged the media to take a more assertive role in defending their own, including exploring legal options beyond Ghana’s borders.

“Some of the cases we have now... should be pursued outside the country,” he said. “We should be taking them to the ECOWAS Human Rights Court.”

He also criticised state institutions for what he described as a lack of decisive action in recent cases of military and police brutality against journalists. Referring to several assaults by security personnel, Dr Ashigbey noted that such acts often go unpunished.

“We are told officers have been interdicted, but everything is kept secret, and nothing really happens,” he said. “We need to be informed. The public needs to know the outcomes.”

He further questioned the effectiveness of certain regulatory bodies, particularly the National Media Commission (NMC).

“I’ve had concerns with how the NMC handles cases involving attacks on journalists. I don’t think they carry out their mandate effectively,” he said.

However, he acknowledged that the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) had recently become more vocal in addressing such issues.

Dr Ashigbey also pointed to a wider societal problem, urging Ghanaians to recognise the value of press freedom.

“If journalists stop raising these issues, the public will suffer,” he said. “When your rights are under threat, it’s the media you call.”

He called on President John Mahama to act swiftly to restore public confidence in the safety of journalists.

“He comes from our ranks. During his previous administration, journalists felt more protected than they do now. He needs to take action without delay,” Dr Ashigbey said.

He concluded with a warning: “If we allow things to continue this way, we may soon be dealing with more tragedies like the Ahmed Suale case.”