The Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Telecommunications, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey has called on journalists to restrain themselves from making reckless utterances that may erode the freedoms and liberties journalists enjoy in the country.

According to him, though this caliber of journalists form a minority, the repercussions of their activities are felt strongly across board.

Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, he noted that the recent increase in violence against journalists and criminal persecutions of journalists could partly be attributed to this phenomenon.

“So definitely we need to start calling out these charlatans amongst us,” he said.

He stated that a failure of journalists to call out and check the activities of their colleagues will encourage this reckless form of journalism to fester, which will have detrimental implications for the profession.

He also bemoaned the weaponisation of the media by political figures who own media houses as another factor for the rising hostility against journalists.

“Both the journalists themselves who are being reckless but most importantly, politicians, the business people who have been given license who are running media houses, who have weaponsied and are breaking down the laws, and are giving pass to people to brutalise us,” he said.

Meanwhile, he further expressed worry at the nonchalant attitude of the Attorney-General in prosecuting people who mete out violence against journalists against the speed with which the Attorney-General has been prosecuting journalists for offences.                                                

“Another worry I have is that the alacrity and the speed with which the Attorney General will go to court and get the gentleman remanded for two weeks. We don’t see that same alacrity when Latif’s skull was cracked at the Police Headquarters that has many CCTV cameras.

“When Ahmed Suale’s case happened we don’t see all of that? There’s the situation of Pius, Pius Kwame who was shot by a gentleman who was supposed to be a national security person on the night of the election. The particular case was over a year ago; every time they go court, the case is adjourned.

“As we speak, the gentleman has had four surgeries he’s still waiting for the bones to heal. But that case has not gone to court, so in the same way that we’re seeing the state move with so  much alacrity , go to court and exact their pound of flesh and sometimes even with blood attached to it, we want to see the same one when journalists are abused,” he said.