The Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has revealed that the government has established a comprehensive mechanism aimed at addressing the increasing cases of attacks on journalists in the country.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Probe, the minister emphasised the need for more severe punishment to serve as a deterrent to individuals involved in such acts.
“Of course, nobody is excited about the cases that have come up, we’re more worried that the trend is actually increasing, and we think a somewhat severity in terms of punishment will help deter persons who do this,” he said on Sunday.
Highlighting the components of the mechanism put in place to tackle the issue, Mr Oppong-Nkrumah said the government ensures swift reporting of the incidents to the police and publicly condemns the acts to bring attention to their severity.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah emphasized the necessity for law enforcement agencies to prosecute offenders rigorously, with the judiciary ensuring that severe punishments are meted out.
Acknowledging the need for accountability, the Information Minister disclosed that engagements were ongoing with the police and the Ghana Armed Forces, with a scheduled accountability meeting before the end of the year.
The meeting, according to him, aims “to give account for all the cases that we’ve reported to them in the past.”
“Also at the end of the year, they [enforcers] have to publish a report that shows what the nation is doing about all of this.”
The Minister underscored the government’s commitment to transparency by briefing Parliament on the actions taken to address assaults on journalists.
He also urged Parliament to exercise its oversight function and facilitate engagement with the judicial service to ensure effective enforcement of punitive actions against perpetrators.
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