Photo-Journalists in Western Region to boycott media coverage for Catherine Afeku, NPP over abuse

• Posted on July 21, 2020July 21, 2020
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Photo-Journalists in the Western Region have threatened to boycott all media coverage in the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Constituency as a result of attack meted out by the personal bodyguard of the Member of Parliament (MP) Catherine Afeku on Metro TV’s Cameraman for Western Region, Alhaji Mustapha Gilbert Ashaley.

The Photo Journalists adds that, the boycott extends to all events organised by the ruling New Patriotic Party.

In a press conference yesterday July 20, 2020, the lead for the group, Charles Egyir demanded an unqualified apology from the Minister of State at the Presidency and MP for lies she told about the abuse on Alhaji Mustapha Gilbert Ashaley.

“We would resist any attempt by Catherine Afeku to use her office to suppress media freedom. Therefore, we would stand firmly together with our colleague until the right thing is done.

“Again, we are declaring a total boycott of all programs of Catherine Afeku, the Nzema East Municipal Assembly, until the MP Catherine Afeku, and the MCE for Nzema East Frank Okpenyen distance themselves from the bad conduct of the bodyguard who appears to have gained notoriety in pummeling people.”

Again, the Photo-Journalists said that they would extend their  boycott to all police events in the Western Region, should they fail to deliver justice for their colleague.

“Any attempt on the part of the Police to water down the case, and allow the bodyguard to go scot free, would not only incur our displeasure, but could attract an absolute boycott of all Police programs.”

“We, Concerned Cameramen Association, therefore view this as a clear human rights abuse and would like to condemn this unwarranted attack of Alhaji Mustapha Gilbert Ashaley while he was on duty, which is an affront to press freedom.”

“We want to remind the police and the Minister of state that we are in a democratic era, governed by rule of law, and therefore the era of tyrannical conduct belongs to the past.

“We are shocked that after recent adaptation of a framework on Police Media Relations and safety of Journalists in the country, Axim Police supervised the bizarre seizure and deletion of the reporter’s professional work. That obviously could not be anything less than an attack on press freedom.”

They also have challenged the Minister to respond to ten (10) questions on what transpired;

1. We want to find out from the Minister of State, didn’t her bodyguard Appiah heckled the cameraman at the court premises.

2. Didn’t the police in Axim in connivance with the bodyguard threatened the Cameraman

3. Who instructed the police to delete all footages as contained in the camera.

4. Why is the Minister seriously running round looking for sympathy and support……Nobody taa nedo

5. Is Catherine Afeku saying she doesn’t know the Cameraman Alhaji Mustapha Gilbert Ashaley who worked on her 2016 elections documentary.

6. Catherine Afeku claimed the Cameraman is a retired cameraman of Metro Television, that is pure lies.

He actually worked with GBC for 36 years and when he retired, he joined Zambaga Rufai Saminu, Western Regional Correspondent for Metro Television to do the work and this is not secret.

7. Why is Catherine Afeku not using any of the Western media houses but running to Accra. Is she afraid she would be exposed ?

8. Who advised the bodyguard of Catherine Afeku to misconduct himself at the court premises buy disturbing the peace of a man who was just doing his work. He did all that in the interest of who, and why?

9. Why is the MP defending human right abuse, is she into the business of abusing the rights of people

10. Is it possible for Catherine Afeku to come back to same Cameramen who have helped her climb to the highest political office when her Bodyguard is destroying her relationship with the media friends who have been working with her.

“She must answer all these poignant questions and allow the police to do their independent work for justice to prevail.” they concluded.

Background

The Cameraman, Alhaji Mustapha Gilbert Ashaley was among other journalists covering a court case involving Seth Afeku, the husband of the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira MP and one Angate Borzar who was arrested on the orders of Mr Afeku.

After the unfortunate incident, the camera man duly informed the regional GJA on how he was abused at the court in Axim.

The Cameraman indicated that his camera was seized and videos deleted under the supervision of the police without his permission.

Preliminary investigations conducted by the regional GJA revealed that, before the commencement of the court proceedings, the Metro TV Cameraman, Alhaji Mustapha Gilbert Ashaley was taking video footages (cut aways) outside the court premises to support his story since recordings or picture/video inside the courtroom is not allowed.

This was after he had sought permission from the court clerk .

Without any provocation, the said bodyguard identified as (Appiah) who arrived in the company of the MP & Minister of State, Mrs Catherine Afeku and the husband, Seth Afeku, and the Municipal Chief Executive, Frank Okpenyen, upon seeing the cameraman outside the court premises videoing the entrance of the suspect in the case, the bodyguard rushed to him, interrupted him and ordered him to hand over Metro TV branded video camera to him.

The refusal of Alhaji Mustapha Gilbert Ashaley to handover his official camera to the bodyguard resulted in a fierce confrontation and heckling, which attracted the intervention of a policeman.

Another senior officer who was at the scene asked the cameraman to hand over the camera under duress to the junior police officer which he did.

However, surprisingly, the Member of Parliament for Evalue-Jomoro Gwira Constituency and Minister of State and MCE looked on unconcerned and gracefully walked to take their positions in the courtroom.

It was interesting to note that, after the camera was handed back to the Metro TV Cameraman after the court proceedings, all visuals on the camera had been deleted under the supervision of officers of the Ghana Police Service and they offered no explanation as to why they tampered with the Metro TV Camera.