GJA Slaps Total Media Blackout On Hawa Koomson Over Assault On Journalist

The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has issued a directive restraining all media houses from reporting news about Awutu Senya Member of Parliament, Mavis Hawa Koomson.

His directive comes in the aftermath of an attack on Cape FM's morning show host, David Kobina, allegedly by thugs associated with the Member of Parliament who doubles as the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

The incident unfolded during the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary vetting in the Central Region on January 4, 2024.

The minister has formally denied the allegation via a statement from her team.

Supporters of Hawa Koomson are alleged to have targeted David Kobina, mistakenly identifying him as a journalist who had purportedly made an inappropriate comment about the MP on a local TV station ().

Speaking during a press conference on January 25, 2024, President Dwumfour stated “Three weeks after they assaulted our brother, justice has been denied. We took a petition to the IGP, NPP both national and regional, and all of them received the letters.

“And the period given has expired yet we haven't heard of anything, so, that means they have left us to our fate, whatever that happened it seems nobody cares and if the system fails to protect us, we shall protect ourselves.

“We are saying all media houses and all journalists shouldn’t report anything about Hawa Koomson even though she wasn’t the one who assaulted the journalist but her people whom she can identify and hand them over,” he said.

He added “We have nothing against the MP, but we are scared of the people around her. All media practitioners should stay away from Mavis Hawa Koomson."

The GJA president called upon the NPP leadership at both national and regional levels to identify and sanction those responsible for the assault on David Kobina.

He further urged the Ghana Police Service to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators, including an alleged police officer who stood by during the attack.

GNA