On May 26, 2015, supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ghana’s biggest opposition party, attacked Edward Adeti a journalist of the privately-owned radio station Starr FM.
According to MFWA’s sources, Adeti went to cover a meeting at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region by some party members when the incident happened. The meeting reportedly turned into a violent scene as some supporters assaulted NPP executives.
Adeti tried to interview some of the supporters who then turned their anger on him and slapped him.The management of Starr FM later lodged a complaint with the leadership of the NPP to punish its supporters who attacked Adeti.
Following the complaint, the deputy communications director of the NPP, Anthony Karbo, reportedly apologised to Adeti.
“I’m very sorry and completely not an issue the NPP will endorse,” Karbo is reported to have said. “I will get the national youth organiser and the regional youth organiser to bring all those who assaulted you to book.”
This is not the first time that supporters of the NPP have attacked a journalist. Following the presidential elections in Ghana in 2012, supporters of the NPP attacked several journalists. The MFWA is urging the leadership of the NPP as well as all other political parties in Ghana to sensitise their supporters on the important role journalists play in promoting democracy to afford journalists the respect they deserve.
