Accra, Feb. 19, GNA – Professor Kwame Karikari, a Media Rights Advocate, says GH¢50,000 has been raised to support Radio Ada after it was attacked recently.
The fund, set up by Professor Karikari, Dr Yao Graham, Sulemana Braimah, Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, among others, is to help Radio Ada “recover” from the attack and resume operations.
Prof Karikari said this at the 2022 World Radio Day symposium organised by the Ghana Community Radio Network under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Ghana Country Office.
The Day observed every February 13 was held on the theme “Radio and Trust.”
Prof Karikari said issues of media rights and freedom were political and required commitment from political leaders to protect and safeguard them.
He called on political leaders as well as the citizenry to support the freedom of the press, especially community radios in the country.
He said the media should not take things for granted, saying, “democracy and rights are not things we must joke with, we must keep fighting to maintain, protect and defend them.”
“We must live here today revived with a sense of troubling against this encroachment on the media, particularly the rights of community radios whose existence is to protect the rights of communities,” he added.
Mr George Sarpong, Executive Secretary, National Media Commission, said they were waiting for a report from the Radio Station to take necessary actions.
He said they had spoken to relevant stakeholders in the catchment area, including community leaders and the police, and would get to the bottom of the matter.
Mr Sarpong said the Commission was developing a national charter for the safety of journalists, which included a commitment by the media and public authorities to work together to secure the safety of journalists.
“We would be establishing systems to monitor institutional compliance with the national charter on the safety of journalists,” he added.
Mr Julius Odoi, External Communications Officer of the Station, and one of the presenters who was assaulted during the attack, recounting the incident, said the attack happened on January 13, 2022 when ten armed men stormed the station to attack seven of them.
He alleged that they were attacked during their “Manor Munyu” programme series, a programme that highlighted “exploitation” activities at the Songor Lagoon.
Mr Odoi alleged the attackers had threatened the station to cease the programme or face a series of attacks.
The station is back on air after it was shutdown momentarily.
