“An attack on all of us” — GJA condemns alleged assault on Obaatanpa radio producer

Ghana’s press corps has erupted in outrage following what media advocates characterise as a brazen assault on editorial independence, with allegations that a radio journalist was physically attacked and his station forcibly shuttered by political figures unhappy with the broadcaster’s coverage of internal party disputes.

The Ghana Journalists Association declared the incident a fundamental affront to democratic governance, issuing a sharply worded statement on Sunday, June 28, condemning what it described as a coordinated effort to silence media commentary on sensitive political matters.

The flashpoint came on Thursday, June 25, when Obaatanpa Radio, a Kasoa-based outlet, was covering tensions roiling the National Democratic Congress within the Awutu Senya East Constituency.

The discussion touched on a protracted feud between the local MP, Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor, and party executives — a quarrel that has festered since 2020 and recently intensified into what observers characterise as an increasingly volatile standoff.

According to the journalists’ union, Bernard Mireku, a radio producer at the station, was physically assaulted.

The alleged attackers included the Municipal Chief Executive for Awutu Senya East, Seth Sabah Serwonoo-Banini, the NDC Central Regional Chairman, Richard Asiedu, and individuals accompanying them.

The group then allegedly padlocked the facility, preventing further broadcasting.

The GJA framed the sequence of events as an unvarnished attack on the constitutional protections afforded to the press and the foundational right of citizens to access information.

“If established, [the incident] constitutes a serious attack on press freedom, media independence and Ghana’s democratic values,” the Association stated, adding that “no political party, public official or individual has the right to intimidate journalists or interfere with the lawful operations of a media organisation because of disagreement with its editorial content.”

The press body invoked Article 162 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which guarantees media freedom and editorial autonomy, describing those protections as inviolable.

The Association pulled no punches in its condemnation, characterising physical violence against journalists and the forcible disruption of broadcast operations as criminal conduct incompatible with democratic governance.

It demanded that the Ghana Police Service mount an investigation unmarred by political bias and prosecute anyone shown to have committed crimes, irrespective of their rank or party affiliation.

The GJA extended a pointed call to NDC leadership, urging the party to formally repudiate the incident, issue apologies to those harmed and the media outlet affected, and impose party discipline on any officials implicated in the assault.

Critically, the Association counselled that those dissatisfied with journalistic work possess lawful remedies — the right to respond publicly, filing complaints with the National Media Commission or the GJA itself, or pursuing judicial action.

Physical intimidation and closure of media outlets, it emphasised, stand outside the bounds of acceptable conduct.

While reaffirming its commitment to defending journalists against unlawful assault, the GJA also reminded media practitioners that professional standards — accuracy, fairness, balance and ethical rigor — remain non-negotiable.

“An attack on one journalist is an attack on the entire media fraternity and the public’s constitutional right to information,” the Association declared.

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Yaw Opoku Amoako

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