The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has revoked the media blackout it imposed on the Member of Parliament (MP) for Awutu-Senya East, Madam Mavis Hawa Koomson.
A statement signed and issued by Mr Kofi Yeboah, General Secretary of the GJA, copied to the Ghana News Agency GNA) , in Accra, on Friday, said the decision was taken after a meeting between the Association, media partners and the MP, on Thursday.
Ms Koomson, who is also the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, was accompanied by the Minister-designate for Information, Madam Fatimatu Abubakar.
The meeting was attended by the President of the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), Edwin Arthur; the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Gloria Hiadzi, and the Programme Manager for Freedom of Expression at the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Muheeb Saeed.
Also present were the Dean of the Parliamentary Press Corps, Simon Agianab; the President of
the New Media Association, Eugene Nkansah; the Executive Secretary of PRINPAG, Jeorge Wilson Kingson, and Gabriel Asante Bosompem, who is one of two GJA representatives on the National Media Commission (NMC).
The GJA imposed the media blackout on Ms Koomson, on January 25, 2024.
The decision was meant to get justice for David Kobenna, a morning show host of Cape FM, who was assaulted by some supporters of the MP during the vetting of New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary aspirants, in Cape Coast, in the Central Region, on January 4, 2024.
Following the blackout, Ms Koomson promised to engage the National Executive of the GJA to settle the impasse.
The statement said after extensive deliberations, Ms Koomson promised to give the GJA the required support to bring the perpetrators to book.
‘I will give you the necessary support to ensure justice for David Kobenna,’ she said.
For her part, Ms Abubakar, Minister of Information designate, said the Awutu-Senya East MP was willing to work with the GJA to lay
the matter to rest, adding that the Ministry of Information would also support in that regard.
Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, the GJA President, commended the Fisheries Minister for taking such positive step to help find solution to the problem and expressed the hope that she would live by her pledge.
Meanwhile, the GJA and its media partners urged the media to continue to enforce the blackout imposed on the MP for Yendi, Farouk Aliu Mahama.
The blackout on the Yendi MP, was imposed after he allegedly led an assault on Citi FM/TV, Northern Regional correspondent, Mohammed Aminu M. Alabira, during the NPP parliamentary primaries on January 27, 2024.
Source: Ghana News Agency