News
Geoffrey Buta nominated for Joy FM Impact Makers Award
Geoffrey Kwame Buta, a photojournalist with the New Times Corporation (NTC), has been nominated for the 2025 Joy FM Impact Makers Award in the Education category.
Mr Buta, who is also the founder of Foto4Change, was recognised for his efforts in empowering Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students through visual storytelling.
His initiative, launched in 2023, trains students in photography and multimedia production to help them express themselves and document their experiences.
Since its implementation, the initiative has donated five professional cameras and accessories to five institutions in Ghana and Zimbabwe. These cameras are used to train DHH beneficiaries in visual storytelling, giving them practical tools to develop creative and technical skills.
Explaining the initiative, Mr Buta said it was born out of a clear gap he observed in the creative communication space. “Deaf individuals are often left behind and excluded from opportunities in visual storytelling and media,” he noted.
“As a visual journalist and multimedia educator, I believe this gap can be addressed by using my professional skills to empower the deaf community through photography and visual storytelling,” he underlined.
During the maiden donation and training session, at the Savelugu School for the Deaf, Mr Buta noted that he was impressed by the brilliance and creativity of the students. “Their enthusiasm and potential inspired me to expand the initiative to other schools and eventually to Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the Deaf Zimbabwe Trust,” he added.
To date, the purchase of cameras and accessories has been fully self-funded through consultancy fees earned from client work. “This personal investment reflects my commitment to creating inclusive platforms for underrepresented voices in media,” he mentioned.
The Visual Storytelling for the Deaf project has so far benefited over 700 students. It has established visual storytelling clubs in five schools for the deaf and supported deaf students studying Mass Communication at Harare Polytechnic in Zimbabwe.
Moreover, Mr Buta stated that Foto4Change was planning a public exhibition to showcase the best works produced by the students from Ghana and Zimbabwe.
The exhibition aims to promote awareness, celebrate the students’ creativity, and build their confidence for future professional opportunities.
To ensure long-term impact, the initiative is also engaging media organisations to consider internship and employment opportunities for hearing-impaired trainees. “We want society to see them not as charity cases, but as capable professionals,” he pointed out.
He is also planning to establish a studio in one of the schools to train the beneficiary students who are interested in studio photography.
With more than a decade of experience in development communication, Mr Buta is a three-time Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Photojournalist of the Year. He has also received the Reuters People’s Choice Award and the Deutsche Welle Human Rights Photography Award.
By Spectator Reporter
The Criminal Investigation Department has launched an investigation into a viral video in which a woman identified as Arianna Naomi Mackey, an American citizen, claims she was kidnapped by five masked men, whom she alleges were officers of the Ghana Police Service on snap-check duty in Accra, and robbed her of some amount of money.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the video was recorded at a hotel in Accra where Ms. Mackey and two companions were staying.
According to the police, investigation also confirmed that they checked out of the hotel on December 5, 2025.Checks at the Kotoka International Airport also disclosed that she left Ghana on the same day.
The Police subsequently contacted the alleged victim to assist the investigation. She indicated to Police that she was out of the country and she could not get the names of the alleged officers nor the number plate of the vehicle they were using.
Police further requested for the contact details of her friend in Ghana, who she said was with her during the time of the incident.
She, however, stated that her friend does not want to be involved in the investigation.
According to the police, she has since deleted the video on her page and further efforts by the Investigators to contact her through WhatsApp calls and messages have proved unsuccessful, as she has declined to respond and later blocked the team.
Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to secure her cooperation through appropriate diplomatic channels.
The Ghana Police Service has noted that it treats such allegations very seriously and remains committed to uncovering the facts in this case.
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
