Some hoodlum supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) were at it again when they mercilessly beat up journalists.
This bizarre nasty incident took place over the weekend during the Brong Ahafo at 50 Awards ceremony held in Sunyani.
Mr. Dennis Peprah from the Ghana News Agency (GNA) was the worse victim of this bastardly attack.
Narrating the incident to the media, he said “After ex-President Jerry John Rawlings had finished delivering his speech, an NDC supporter commented that the journalists gathered should send a good report, one journalist replied by saying that if the NDC supporter thinks the journalists would not send a good report then she should come and do the report herself.
So I interrupted by saying that we are all Ghanaians, just then , an NDC supporter just pounced on me, some followed suit, they stepped on my stomach, and they attacked any journalists who tried to come to my rescue,” he recounted.
The GNA reporter was rescued and whisked away in a taxi with registration number BA 944 X, but the supporters chased the car and smashed the left side screen.
The incident took place in the full glare of ex-president Rawlings, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister Hon. Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, Member of Council of State, Mrs. Cecilia Johnson, Ministers of State, District and Municipal Chief Executives.
And rather surprisingly, none of these dignitaries restrained their irate supporters who subjected the journalists to several beatings.
Other journalists who suffered from the hands of the NDC supporters were the Regional Chairman of the GJA, Mr. Ian Motey, Secretary of the GJA, Larry Paa Kwasi Moses, Akwasi Ampratwum Mensah, Regional Correspondent of the Daily Graphic and Michael Boateng, Regional correspondent of the Chronicle. The Police present looked on while these journalists were been assaulted.
What was more disturbing was the mob attack on the journalists immediately after the programme. This incident happened in the presence of the Sunyani MCE, Kwasi Oppong Ababio, who, when approached to restrain the irate supporters retorted, “You can’t instruct me, “Se mo anka nkwasia sem a enka yebo mo,” meaning if you had not said stupid things they wouldn’t have attacked you.
A few journalists who were able to escape from the wrath of the NDC supporters had bruises over their bodies. During the attack, Mr. Ampratwum of the Daily Graphic lost two cellular phones and whiles the Larry Paa Kwasi Moses lost his wrist watch.
A complaint has been lodged at the Sunyani Municipal Police Command, affected journalists had been given police forms to go the hospital.
Before this incident occurred, the organisers of the awards had not made any provision for the journalists as where to sit. The President of the Association had to confront the organisers before a place was allocated to them.
In another development, Hon. Collins Dauda also had a confrontation with one of the award winners, one Mr. Kwame Asare Boadu of the Daily Graphic. According to Mr. Dauda, Mr. Boadu does not deserve the award, because 20 years ago, he wrote something bad about him which was published in the Daily Graphic.
FROM MICHAEL AFUM, SUNYANI
