
Kingsley E. Hope, Ashanti Regional GJA Chairman
The Ashanti regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has called on the Police administration to consider a second thought regarding what has been termed as a “centralised communication system”, where information can only be assessed from the Police Headquarters in Accra and not from the Ashanti Regional Police Command.
Members of the association are unhappy that despite having its regional office in Kumasi, the Regional Police Command, for some time now, has been referring the media to get information from the Police Headquarters in Accra.
A press statement released by the Ashanti Regional GJA Chairman, Kingsley E. Hope, observed with grave concern a situatıon where the Police Administration appears to have adopted a “centralised communication system” to operate. According to him, such system has the potential to affect the “’time-tested” police-media relations in the region.
Avoiding the media
The statement noted that the Association is finding it difficult to understand why the Ashanti Regional Police Command in recent times avoid media interviews, when the media seek for clarifications on urgent situations of public interest.
“They rather choose to refer the media to the Police Headquarters in Accra. Is it not surprising why media houses in the region cannot access information of an incident in the region from the regional command? A point must be made by GJA that our job is not just to be called upon to cover parades and ‘WASSA’ at your instance.
“The fact remains that journalists have an essential duty to inform the public on issues of security and other matters, as the police share the common objective of providing services to the public, even though from different perspectives,” portions of the statement read.
The Association claimed that the Accra Police Headquarters’, in many instances, are also reluctant to offer information.
It further expressed fear that the situation where media houses cannot access information directly from the regional police command is worrying and can easily give rise to speculations and twisting of facts.
This, the Association indicated, would go against the best interest of the people both institutions are serving.
“It is the position of GJA Ashanti that the police is charting a path of creating a strained relationship between the two institutions with the introduction of centralised communication system where journalists in the region are referred to contact the headquarters in Accra for clarifications on news items ın Kumasi and its environs and that same needs to be rectified. This position of ours is reinforced by our strong desire to avoid instances of speculative reporting, which can be inimical to the progress of democratic growth and development,” the statement concluded.