Nhyira FM’s Investigative Journalist, Ohemeng Tawiah is one of a few Africa Journalists selected to speak at this year’s African Investigative Journalism Conference at the Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa. The conference which ran from 1st-3rd November under the theme, Power Reporting 2010 is being attended by renowned Investigative Journalists from Africa, Asia, Europe and America. Ohemeng Tawiah, who was invited to speak on how he effectively used radio to disseminate investigative journalistic works, also spoke on his investigations into river blindness at Asuboi in the Offinso Municipality of Ashanti region where over 70 per cent of the community are infected by the disease. He is the second Ghanaian Investigative Journalist after Crusading Guide’s Anas Aremeyaw Anas to be invited by organizers to speak at the annual event. Health officials were reluctant to attend to the poor farmers because of the poor road network. The story has not only caused some casualties with the Municipal Chief Executive being suspended but also attracted public attention with President John Evans Atta Mills ordering the Community Water and Sanitation agency to provide residents with potable drinking water. Before then, Moneygram, a few days after the story broke agreed to sink two boreholes for residents who are predominantly farmers living in the Abofuor forest. The Asuboi-Abofuor road which hitherto had become a death-trap has now been reshaped. This means farmers can now transport their farm produce to the Abofuor market without as much difficulty as previously. Though treatment for the river blindness is expected to start this year, residents have been commending the Multimedia Group especially Ohemeng Tawiah who first broke the story for making public their plight. Ohemeng Tawiah is a member of the Forum for African Investigative Reporters (FAIR. Other renowned African investigative journalists at the conference included Theophilus Abba (Nigeria); Emmanuel Mayah (Nigeria); Eric Mwamba ( Cote d’Ivoire); Christophe Assogba ( Benin); Eva Flomo ( Liberia); and Fatuma Noor-Kenya. Some international Investigative Journalists such as Joshua Prager, journalist and author of The Echoing Green, O’Connor Tammy-Australia, Houston Brant of the Global Investigative Journalism Conference, Elena Egawhrary from the BBC and several also attended. Myjoyonline.com/Ghana