The West Africa Editors Society (WAES) has called on the Ghana Police Service to urgently investigate the alleged assault on Class Media journalist Samuel Addo by officers of the Ghana National Fire Service.
The incident reportedly occurred while Addo was covering a fire at the Kasoa New Market in the Central Region on Sunday, January 4.
According to the journalist, he was filming an altercation between traders and firefighters when about ten officers confronted him, seized his phone, and assaulted him, despite identifying himself as a journalist.
He has since lodged a police complaint and received a medical form for hospital treatment.
In a statement issued on Monday, WAES described the attack as a “blot on press freedom in the country” and urged both the police and the fire service to investigate the matter.
“Members of the security services in Ghana ought to know by now that journalism is important for any progressive society, including Ghana, and stop attacking journalists who are only doing their jobs,” said Mr. Emmanuel K. Dogbevi, Interim President of WAES.
WAES also criticised comments attributed to the Fire Service’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Desmond Ackah, who claimed the officers only seized Addo’s phone because he was filming without permission.
The group stressed that journalists do not need permission to record incidents in public spaces.
Earlier, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, condemned the attack and stated that the perpetrators would be sanctioned.
“The attack on Class Media Group’s Samuel Addo by some personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service is most unacceptable and I condemn same. Firm action will be taken against the rogue elements who carried out this attack,” he wrote in a social media post.
