Digital DEC 15, 2020

Digital DEC 15, 2020.qxp_Layout 1 14/12/2020 23:19 Page 6
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DAILY HERITAGE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2020
Editorial
GJA needs all hands on deck
THE GHANA Journalists Association
(GJA), led by its president Mr Roland
Affail Monney, has assured media practitioners
in the country of its commitment
to stand by them in the course of
their duties.
This follows injuries sustained by two
journalists in the line of duty at a collation
centre after the December 7 general
election
In this country, journalists have always
incurred the wrath of the very
people they fight for. One such incident
happened during the December 7, 2020
elections where Mr Pius Asiedu and a
reporter with the Ghana Broadcasting
Corporation (GBC) as well as a policeman
on duty, almost lost their lives.
According to the president of the
GJA, journalists gave of their best during
the elections and deserved commendation,
instead of condemnation.
He said this year’s elections were
characterised by tension, challenges and
enormous risks occasioned by gunshot
incidents which, unfortunately, left two
journalists injured.
Following from that, the SIC Insurance
Company Limited last Friday paid
the insurance benefit for one of the injured
journalists, Mr Pius Asiedu, who
suffered gunshot wounds while observing
the collation of results at the
Ablekuma Central collation centre in
Accra on December 7.
It was part of a GH¢20 million insurance
package the company provided
for the GJA for its members who covered
the elections.
As part of the package, the company
will take full charge of Asiedu’s medical
bill and also provide him with a lump
sum payment after his recovery.
Mr Asiedu, who reports for a news
portal, Newswatchgh.com, suffered a
fracture in his left leg and other gunshot
wounds and is currently receiving treatment
at the Greater Accra Regional
Hospital.
From what has transpired so far,
considering what has happened over the
years, where the GJA had not been able
to protect its members, recent engagement
shows that things are changing for
the better.
The DAILY HERITAGE commends
the GIJ for the insurance package
for journalists. The media is the
Fourth Estate of the realm and it is necessary
to protect journalists.
The paper sees the GJA’s stance as
progressive and urges the association to
do more for its members.
The paper wishes to advise that
though the GJA is an association, it
needs all hands on deck to enable it
achieve all the laudable goals it has set
itself.
The paper calls on all media practitioners
to be active in the association’s
activities to enable it become as vibrant
and efficient as we all want it to be.
GJA throws support behind journalists
THE GHANA
Journalists Association
(GJA) has
assured media
practitioners in
the country of its
commitment to stand by them in
the course of their duty.
This follows injuries sustained
by two journalists in the line of
duty at a collation centre after the
December 7 general elections
The President of the GJA, Mr
Affail Monney, said the association
strongly believed that journalists
gave of their best during the
elections and deserved commendation
instead of condemnation.
He said this year’s elections
were characterised by tension,
challenges and enormous risks occasioned
by gunshot incidents
which, unfortunately, left two
journalists injured.
Imperfection
While admitting that there had
been a few instances of imperfection
in the coverage of the elections,
Mr Monney said that should
not obstruct the fact that the
media generally performed well in
their reportage.
He, therefore, described as unfortunate
the attacks on some sections
of the media in the
aftermath of the elections.
•Mr Affail Monney
The GJA President said there
was no justification for the verbal
attacks, blazing threats and cyberbullying
being perpetrated against
certain journalists and media
houses for performing their duty.
“The GJA strongly believes
that those life-threatening experiences,
as well as the inestimable
sacrifices, sleepless nights, reportorial
skills, editorial competence,
analytical power, boundless energy,
patriotic zeal and projectional
acumen journalists and
media houses displayed deserve
fulsome commendation and not
outright condemnation.
“The anti-media brew which is
bubbling in certain political circles
is inimical to press freedom and
dangerous to our democracy. This
must stop forthwith,” he added.
While giving an assurance that
the GJA would fully support all its
members in the discharge of their
duties, he also urged them to inject
the highest degree of circumspection
in their work in order not
to inflame passions.
Mr Monney encouraged journalists
to go about their professional
work without fear of
intimidation.
SIC support
Last Friday, the SIC Insurance
Company Limited
paid the insurance benefit
of one of the injured journalists,
Mr Pius Asiedu,
who suffered gunshot
wounds while observing
the collation of results at
the Ablekuma Central collation
centre in Accra on
December 7.
It was part of a GH¢20
million insurance package
the company provided for
the GJA for its members
who covered the elections.
As part of the package,
the company will take full
charge of Asiedu’s medical
bill and also provide him
with a lump sum payment
after his recovery.
Mr Asiedu, who reports
for a news portal,
Newswatchgh.com, suffered
a fracture in his left leg and
other gunshot wounds and is currently
receiving treatment at the
Greater Accra Regional Hospital.
Other victims were a reporter
with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation
(GBC) and a policeman
who was on duty.