MP condemns increased attacks on journalists

The Ranking Member on the Communications Committee of Parliament, Alhaji Alhassan Bashir Fuseini, has condemned the increased attacks on journalists in the country.

He said the attacks on journalists were a dent on the country's credential as a beacon of democracy and a haven of peace in the West African sub-region.

He, therefore, urged the government and security agencies to bring the perpetrators of such attacks to justice to deter others from behaving the same way
In a salutation message to journalists in commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day, Alhaji Fuseini said the latest report by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), which indicated that Ghana had topped the list of cases of physical attacks on journalists in West Africa between January 2017 and April this year, was unacceptable.

Statistics from the MFWA showed that 12 out of the 45 cases of physical attacks on journalists recorded in the sub-region within the period occurred in Ghana.

Alhaji Fuseini, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sagnarigu, said the incessant attack on journalists was a bad record for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government which hailed itself as a champion of democracy.

He expressed worry that the people who attacked journalists were not pursued by security agencies to exact justice for the victims.

Poor working condition

Alhaji Fuseini said although journalists played a critical role in the entrenchment of the country's democracy, they were not paid well by their employers, which made it difficult for them to cater for their basic necessities of life.

He, therefore, urged owners of media houses to improve the conditions of service of journalists to let them enjoy a decent life.

Accountability

Alhaji Fuseini, who was a former Night Editor of the Daily Graphic, noted that journalists were partners of development.

He, therefore, urged journalists not only to sing the praises of government but to hold the government accountable to the people.

Alhaji Fuseini asked media practitioners to be guided by the code of ethics of the journalism profession while discharging their duties.