“We won’t countenance assault on journalists” — Mahama after Class FM attack

President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) involved in the assault of a journalist with Class FM have been identified and interdicted, as investigations into the incident continue.

The President made this known during a visit to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), where he strongly condemned the attack and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting press freedom.

“I’m a journalist by training, and so there’s no way we can countenance the continued assault on journalists,” President Mahama said.

He revealed that government officials have been engaging the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and security agencies to address the matter and prevent similar incidents in the future.

“We’ve been in touch with the Ghana Journalists Association on these issues. We’ve put them in touch with the security services,” he stated.

President Mahama stressed the need for a change in attitude among some security personnel, explaining that journalists and security officers perform complementary roles in a democratic society.

“We need a reorientation of many of our security personnel to understand that just as they are doing their job of providing peace and safety, journalists are also doing their job of informing the people as to what is happening. They’re not antagonistic to each other. Indeed, they’re both serving the same public,” he explained.

While acknowledging that such incidents may occasionally occur, the President insisted they must be dealt with decisively to serve as a deterrent.

“When they come, they must be dealt with as firmly as possible,” he said.

President Mahama further disclosed that the Minister of Government Communications is already handling the matter and confirmed that disciplinary measures have been taken against the officers involved.

“The officers have been identified. They’ve been interdicted, and an investigation is ongoing. But we won’t countenance assault on journalists,” he added.