Private legal practitioner Samson Lardy Anyenini has criticised the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), demanding the immediate interdiction of the service’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), DO II Desmond Ackah and the prosecution of officers involved in a "dastardly" assault on a Class Media Group (CMG) journalist.

The incident occurred on Monday, January 5, 2026, during the chaotic aftermath of the Kasoa New Market fire, where GNFS personnel were captured on video physically manhandling a reporter who was filming the firefighting efforts.

In a move described as "barbaric", the officers also reportedly seized the journalist’s recording equipment, sparking national outrage.

A ‘Dastardly’ Attack on Democracy

Speaking on the matter, Mr Anyenini emphasised that the assault is not merely a physical altercation but a direct strike at the heart of the 1992 Constitution.

He reminded the public that under Article 21(1)(f), Ghanaians have an inherent right to information, with journalists serving as the custodians of that right.

“Yesterday the bigger issue was about that assault—very dastardly. We should not continue to hear these reports in a democracy... where you have a constitution that fully guarantees the rights of the journalists and actually gives the journalists an onerous obligation to report the things that the people ought to know,” Mr Anyenini stated.

He further argued that the people are the sovereign, and the journalist’s role is to bring developments to these custodians of power.

PRO’s Fitness for Office Questioned

Mr Anyenini reserved his sharpest words for the GNFS Public Relations Officer.

Following the incident, the PRO’s public defence of the officers' conduct—despite ocular proof of the assault—has led the lawyer to declare him unfit for his role.

“If this officer is still at post, that should be our bigger worry—that he is deemed qualified as a public relations officer for a public institution. In the full glare of the ocular proof of the assault... he will say the things he says. It clearly shows that he's not fit to be in that office,” Mr Anyenini argued.

The lawyer called on the leadership of the Fire Service to show responsibility by interdicting the PRO and putting him through a refresher course to learn the basics of public relations and constitutional rights.

The Myth of ‘Consent’ in Public Spaces

Addressing the common misconception that journalists need permission to film public officials in the line of duty, Mr Anyenini clarified that no such law exists in Ghana or internationally.

• Public Space: The Kasoa fire was a public event.
• Rights of Citizens: Mr Anyenini noted that even ordinary bystanders had the right to film, while the journalist possessed an elevated right to do so.
• Seizure of Devices: He condemned the seizure of the journalist’s phone/camera as a criminal act.

“No journalist is required by any law... to seek consent to film or record or gather information that is in the public. Even the police... unless the item you intend to seize is evidence of crime, you cannot be seizing it. You don't have the right to breach the privacy of the individual by accessing the content of the phone,” he explained.

‘Absolutely Barbaric’ Conduct

Mr Anyenini challenged the GNFS to explain why they resorted to violence even if they believed the journalist was uncooperative.

He noted that even law enforcement officers do not have the right to beat suspects, let alone a media professional performing a constitutional duty.

“It's absolutely, absolutely barbaric and it should not be entertained. Not in this republic. At every turn, this was criminal. This was wrong,” Mr Anyenini concluded.