GJA Launches Journalist Support Fund

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has launched the Journalists Support Fund in Accra at the Ghana International Press Centre.

The Journalists Support Fund was launched on Wednesday, November 2, 2022 at a ceremony to commemorate the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.

The Fund which seeks to raise at least a GHC2Million seed capital aims at curbing attacks on journalists and as well offer legal services to journalists who are assaulted in their line of duty.

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Speaking at the event, the GJA President, Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour noted that many journalists across the world, even in Ghana, have suffered attacks and gone through excruciating pain over the years and the impunity for crimes against journalists continues unabated.

He said what was more worrying was the fact that invariably, the victims of such crimes do not get justice largely because they lack the financial wherewithal to pursue legal action against their perpetrators.

In other instances, he observed that they do not have the means to even seek medical treatment.

Pondering on some attacks on Journalists, the GJA President recalled the killing of Investigative Journalist, Ahmed Suale, adding that almost four years after he was killed, the perpetrators are yet to be brought to justice.

Meanwhile, he stressed that Journalism is not a crime and that the lives of journalists are important to the GJA.

Mr Dwumfour opined that the gruesome murder of Ahmed Suale, the assault on Latif Iddrisu, the arrest and detention of some Journalists in the country as well as poor economic conditions, including low pay, is the reason Ghana dropped in the World Press Freedom Index by the Rapporteur Sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders).

He noted that Ghana fell 30 places in the World Press Freedom Index to 60th place.

He said the combined effect of the spate of attacks and rampant arrests of journalists as though they were criminals, as well as the backsliding of Ghana in the World Press Freedom Index, send worrying signals, especially to international media watchers who still regard Ghana as a reference point for press freedom and democracy in Africa.

Mr Dwumfour therefore said Ghana must now be seen to be working hard to reclaim her position on the World Press Freedom Index.

“We must not and dare not, fall further behind in the league table of free media systems in Africa and the world. We cannot sit back and play the ostrich as an organization that prioritizes the welfare and safety of journalists. In the light of this, under the Dwumfour Administration [the Legacy Regime], the GJA is taking the bold step of launching the Journalists Support Fund to address this phenomenon. We believe that establishing the fund would go a long way toward assisting journalists who are attacked by covering their medical and legal expenses,” he said.

He also observed that journalists face many challenges in the course of their work, adding that sometimes, these challenges may result in physical or psychological, or emotional harm to them.

He reiterated that the current support regime for members who may suffer such harm is weak hence the Journalists Support Fund.

“One of the key objectives of the Fund will be to offer legal services to journalists whose rights may be violated in the line of duty. The era when journalists were assaulted but did not get justice due to lack of funds to pursue legal action will soon become history. The Journalists Support Fund will also help to offer training and workshops on safety and security for our members to enhance their security and safety,”He said.

The GJA President also paid tribute to Ahmed Suale with a one-minute silence and appealed to the Ghana Police to remain focused on bringing the killers of Ahmed Suale to book.

He also invited all to the 26th GJA Awards, which will be held on November 12, 2022, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City.