GJA-Central Region Call On IGP To Review Recent Directives On Communication With Media And Public

Central Regional Branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has observed with concern the recent directive from the IGP to centralize all communication between the Police and the Media.  

This new development, according to the Association, has kept the Media and the general public in the dark regarding crimes and other happenings in the regions and what the police is doing to protect the citizenry.  

For some time now, media personnel in the regions have been struggling to access information from the police whenever there is the need to do so. 

In a statement signed and issued by the leadership of the GJA in the Central Region in the persons, Kingsley Nana Buadu, Mr David Yarboi-Tetteh and Shirley Asiedu-Addo, the Association noted that the media thrive on credible information and any attempt by public institutions and individuals to prevent the timely verification of information needs to be checked. 

It pointed out that an attempt to prevent the media from confirming or seeking details regarding a story creates room for speculation and misinformation which would rather create fear in the society. 

It stressed that  on Monday, September 20, 2022, the police upon investigations, exhumed the body of one Georgina Asor Botchwey, who went missing for about two weeks at Mankessim in the Central region.   

According to the statement, the media in the Central Region have not been able to authenticate the facts of the story and some clarification needed from the Police. 

It said the Central Regional branch of the Association is therefore calling on the IGP to review this new directive to allow the regional police to interact and communicate freely with the media. 

"This the association believes would not only serve the interest of the police but would continue to foster stronger relationship between the police and the media. 

"Until this recent directive which have proven to be inimical to free flow of information there had been long standing mutual relationship between the two institutions," the statement concluded.