Ghanaian media associations have united in blacklisting Farouk Aliu Mahama, Member of Parliament for Yendi, from all coverage and interviews.
The media group also issued a ten-day ultimatum to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Ghana Police Service for the immediate arrest of the MP, warning that failure to respond satisfactorily will prompt the Association and its partners to ‘advise themselves’.
This drastic action follows an attack on Citi FM Northern Regional correspondent, Mohammed Amin Alabira, allegedly by Farouk Mahama and his associates during the Yendi New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primary.
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), supported by the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), The Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), announced this at a press conference on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.
The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, who read a joint statement demanded that the National and Regional leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) take action to ensure justice for Alabira by appropriately punishing the MP and his supporters who were involved in the incident.
He also called on the Ghana Police Service to expedite the investigation and legal process against the perpetrators, emphasizing that law enforcement officers were witnesses to the incident.
He implored all media houses to support the media embargo on Farouk Mahama, warning that any media outlet defying the ban risks bearing responsibility for any harm that befalls journalists during this period.
The statement also recalled the tragic death of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale and urged unity among media houses to protect journalists from politically motivated violence.
The Association urged journalists to avoid provoking attacks from ‘unreasonable politicians and their assigns,’ while invoking divine support for media persons and their dedication to their cause.
The GJA President stressed that the declaration underscores the enduring challenges journalists face in Ghana and advocated for a safer environment for the media and accountability for those who threaten their safety.
In a related development, the GJA president disclosed that the MP for Awutu Senya East, Hawa Koomson, who was equally blacklisted over an assault on another journalist, has reached out to the Association for dialogue.
The GJA, he said, will meet with her since she has now shown interest in the case and is willing to engage. The President added, “We will engage her and others to find closure to the case. We are waiting!”
