Government taking steps to end attacks on journalists – Oppong Nkrumah

According to Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the minister of information, the government has put in place a thorough system to deal with the rising number of attacks on journalists in the nation.

The minister emphasized the necessity for harsher penalties to act as a deterrence to those who commit such crimes while speaking on JoyNews’ The Probe.

“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.

Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah outlined the elements of the system in place to address the problem, stating that the government guarantees prompt police reporting of events and publicly denounces the actions to draw attention to their seriousness.

Mr. Oppong Nkrumah stressed how important it is for law enforcement to bring serious charges against criminals and how important it is for the courts to see to it that harsh penalties are imposed.

The Information Minister acknowledged the need for responsibility and said that talks were still going on with the Ghanaian military and the police, with an accountability meeting planned for 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 briefed Parliament on the steps taken to counter attacks on journalists, highlighting the government’s commitment to openness.

Additionally, he asked Parliament to carry out its oversight duties and promote communication with the judiciary in order to guarantee the successful implementation of disciplinary measures against offenders.