President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Dwumfuor, has strongly condemned the recent petrol bomb attack at the headquarters of the Class Media Group in Accra.
The attack, characterized as ‘barbaric terrorism,’ was denounced by Dwumfuor for tarnishing Ghana’s reputation as a country that upholds democratic values, including press freedom and protection.
These remarks were reportedly made by the GJA president during the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event at Koforidua Technical University on May 3.
Dwumfuor also expressed concern over the escalating violence in Ghana, citing the attack as evidence of this troubling trend.
“We cannot commemorate the occasion without addressing the evils against press freedom. One of them is attacks against journalists and the media. We need to hammer it because it appears the evildoers are not tired, and they keep coming at us with more venom.
“It is in this respect that the GJA unreservedly condemns the recent petrol bomb attack on Class FM. That was clearly a terrorist act, and it’s a shame Ghana is fast degenerating into such a culture of barbarism,” he stated.
Dwumfuor voiced frustration over the Ghana Police Service’s inability to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators of the attack thus far.
He emphasized that failing to hold those accountable for the assault accountable would establish an unsettling precedent, particularly during an election year.
“We believe the failure of the police to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators would embolden others to commit such crimes, thinking that nothing would happen to them. Such an impression will pose a great danger to the quest for national peace, especially as we prepare for Election 2024,” Dwumfuor remarked.
However, he expressed optimism in the ability of the police to find the wrongdoers, urging them to expedite investigations into the petrol bomb attack and prosecute the perpetrators.
“We are aware these attacks are meant to intimidate journalists and the media, but that will never happen. We believe in the Ghana Police’s capacity to catch perpetrators even without CCTV footage, as demonstrated yesterday when two of their colleagues were fatally shot at Trassacco.
We will not teach the police how to execute their job, but we do urge them to take media attacks seriously,” he said.