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.
Latest Stories
-
Man who received first pig kidney transplant dies
7 mins -
Akufo-Addo pays tribute at funeral of late former DCE and chief of Binaba
21 mins -
Afronita hopeful of making it to Britain’s Got Talent semi-finals
22 mins -
Oprah Winfrey speaks of ‘biggest regret’ as she opens up about weight loss struggles
32 mins -
Arsenal beat Man Utd to return top and keep title race alive
33 mins -
Djokovic greets fans with a helmet after being hit by bottle
39 mins -
Leverkusen beat Bochum to go 50 games unbeaten
39 mins -
How Kendrick Lamar and Drake changed rap beefs forever
47 mins -
Harry and Meghan visit Lagos school on final day of Nigeria tour
59 mins -
World’s top coffee, soy and sugar supplier Brazil wants to rule cocoa, too
1 hour -
Yaw Nsarkoh: I remember Paulin Hountondji…
1 hour -
Inspiring Love Story: How Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and adorable Lady Julia first met; 6 lessons learnt
1 hour -
Funeral date for gospel musician KODA announced
1 hour -
Tiwa Savage: I always wanted to be an actor
2 hours -
Vladimir Putin set to transfer Sergei Shoigu from Russian defence ministry
2 hours