Following the alleged assault on Media General’s North East Regional Correspondent, Solomon Kwame Kanalume, by some military personnel, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Communications Team, Hamza Suhuyini Esq., has called on the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to rise to the occasion and take decisive action.
Speaking in reaction to the incident, Mr. Suhuyini stressed that the time has come for the GJA to go beyond rhetoric and routine press statements and instead actively demand accountability and concrete measures to protect journalists across the country.
He drew parallels with the historical roles played by other professional and civic bodies in Ghana, noting that the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) once shaped national policy and enforced discipline within the education sector through sustained activism. He further recalled how, in the past, the GJA itself stood firm in defence of press freedom, as well as the pivotal role the Ghana Bar Association played—despite its internal challenges—in Ghana’s transition to democratic governance.
According to him, these examples demonstrate that strong leadership and collective action can yield real results, even in difficult circumstances.
Mr. Suhuyini therefore challenged the leadership of the GJA to move beyond “mere statements and rhetoric” and to adopt a more assertive posture that compels state institutions to act. He emphasized that journalists risk their lives daily in the line of duty and deserve more than verbal condemnation when they are attacked.
“The protection of journalists should not end with press releases,” he stressed. “The GJA must be seen actively demanding justice, accountability, and safeguards for the lives and interests of its members.”
He concluded by urging media practitioners and their association to stand united and ensure that assaults on journalists do not become normalised in Ghana’s democratic space.
Story: Nyamebeye Kofi Ansah Sasraku