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UTV invasion: Option of fine imposed on thugs not deterrent enough – GJA President
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has said that the fines imposed on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) thugs who invaded UTV studios two weeks ago are not enough to deter others from committing the same crime.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the President of GJA, Albert Dwumfuor said they believe the thugs were handed the GHS2,400 fine because the police did not impose much stricter charges on the culprits.
He stated that the charges of conspiracy to commit crime and rioting are inadequate, soft-handed and minimalistic.
Mr Dwumfour listed charges the GJA believes should have been investigated and imposed including unlawful entry, rioting with weapons, assault and battery, causing harm, unlawful assembly, offensive conduct conducive to breach of peace, forcible entry and threat of harm.
“We acknowledge that the judge has the discretion of either imposing a custody sentence or a fine, which is also a form of punishment under our criminal correspondence, which may have informed the magistrate to opt for the imposition of a fine.”
“It is our view that the option of a fine imposed is not deterrent enough. That may largely be due to the fact that the charges preferred by the police were not thorough enough. We believe if all the offenses mentioned above had been investigated and preferred against the thugs, stiffer punishments would have been imposed on them than the fine of 200 penalty units each,” the GJA President added.
This comes after two separate attacks on the media recently, an invasion of UTV by New Patriotic Party thugs, and the assault of a CITI FM reporter by some thugs of the opposition National Democratic Congress.
The thugs who attacked UTV were charged with conspiracy to commit crime and rioting. They pleaded guilty to the charges.
An Achimota Magistrate Court, on Monday, convicted and fined them 200 penalty units each – which translates to GH¢2,400 each.
Mr Dwumfour acknowledged the Ghana police for their swift arrest, and prosecution of the suspects and also the courts for their swift hearing and sentencing.
However, he appealed to the institutions to consider attacks against the media as aggravating offences, especially in cases when such attacks are premeditated.
The GJA President explained that when actions against media are premeditated, “it has the tendency to put fear in the media leading to self-censorship and thus promoting the culture of silence which is inimical to the concept of media freedom and independence as guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.”
“We appeal to the judiciary to consider offences against the media as aggravating offences,” he said.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
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Focus on more pressing issues like Galamsey, not hate speech – Ellen Ama Daaku to Mahama
An aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia,Ellen Ama Daaku has advised President John Dramani Mahama to shift his attention from social media hate speech to more urgent national issues such as illegal mining.
Speaking in an interview, she noted that the President’s recent comments about tracking the IP addresses of people who spread hate speech were unnecessary.
According to her, President Mahama must first define what he considers to be hate speech before seeking to punish people for it.
Ms. Daaku argued that the President himself had benefitted from hate speech and social media attacks in the past when he was in opposition.
She said even during his time in government, he described his opponents and their tribesmen in unpalatable terms, which later drew complaints from former President Nana Akufo-Addo to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
She stressed that harsh criticism of leaders on social media should not automatically be considered hate speech, adding that former leaders, including former President Nana Akufo-Addo had all been subjected to it.
“He is only feeling what Nana Akufo-Addo went through for eight years,” she remarked.
While acknowledging the need to regulate misconduct online, Ms. Daaku insisted that going after social media activists should not be a priority.
She noted that many political activists, including herself, had been insulted and attacked online but never called for arrests.
She concluded that President Mahama should focus his energy on solving pressing problems such as galamsey and the economy instead of concentrating on critics on social media.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Prof Alidu Seidu files nomination for Tamale Central seat
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Tamale Central, Prof Alidu Seidu, has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
As of 10:00 a.m. today, he was the only person who had filed to contest the seat.
Nomination of candidates will close at the end of the day.
Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Alidu Seidu won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Tamale Central constituency with a landslide victory.
The elections, supervised by the party’s Elections and IT Directorate in the Northern Region, saw Prof. Seidu poll 840 votes out of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Lawyer Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, secured 536 votes.
The other aspirants could not make significant gains, with Dr. Seidu Fiter obtaining 44 votes, Aliu Abdul-Hamid 23 votes, and the rest recording fewer than 10 votes each.
In all, 1,500 ballots were cast, with 6 ballots rejected and 7 spoilt ballots recorded.
The results were signed and declared by Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari, NDC Northern Regional Director of Elections and IT.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) held parliamentary primaries in Tamale Central to choose a candidate for the upcoming by-election following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Dr. Mohammed, who also served as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, tragically died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District on August 6, 2025, alongside seven others.
His passing left the Tamale Central seat vacant, as required by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for September 30, 2025. While the NDC moved quickly to open nominations and vet aspirants, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announced it would not contest the seat, citing the need to respect the somber circumstances and promote national unity.
By: Jacob Aggrey
