Award-winning investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas of Tiger Eye PI has condemned threats on the lives of journalists and has demanded state protection for journos including Manasseh Azzuri.
Anas whose colleague journalist Ahmed Suale was murdered on the line of duty believes that people in his profession needs enough state protection to carry out their duties as the fourth force of the nation.
READ MORE: President Akufo-Addo to deliver final State of the Nation Address of his first term on January 5 He has made his call on the back of recent complaints of threats and attacks on some journalists in the country.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas particularly mentioned, Manasseh Azure Awuni, Edward Adeti, Afia Pokuaah, Captain Smart, Abdul Hayi Moomen, David Tamakloe among others as some persons whose lives must be protected by security agencies.
In a statement, the Tiger Eye P.I boss condemned the attacks describing them as “barbaric and backward” adding that, “it is a terrible thing to practice journalism under conditions such as these, and it is even dangerous when nothing is done, and the perpetrators get to carry out their threats.”
He has thus charged government, security forces, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the National Media Commission (NMC) to decisively probe into the incident and ensure that the perpetrators regaled of their social class are arrested made to face the full rigours of the law.
“Tiger Eye P.I calls on the government to condemn these threats and careless utterances be it from a lawmaker, a government official or opposition groups in the strongest terms yet. The security agencies must proactively investigate the sources of death threats and arrest the criminals. The security agencies should not be seen or be used to perpetuate any such attacks or intimidation. We appeal to the National Media Commission and Ghana Journalist Association to do more, particularly in engaging political parties and journalists who pursue public interest journalism”, the statement added.
While solidarizing with his affected media colleagues, Anas also recounted the death of his former team member, Ahmed Suale and maintained that never again should any journalist be made to suffer such a horrible experience.
“The murder of Ahmed Suale is still fresh on the minds of all journalists and sympathisers in this country. No journalist in the country can survive the bullets of their assassins if ever they become targets.”
