The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has given Dr. David Tenkorang-Twum, General Secretary of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), five days to retract comments he made against journalists and issue a public apology or risk facing legal action.

In a video that resurfaced after the recent Ridge Hospital assault incident, Dr. Tenkorang-Twum was heard threatening journalists during a June 2025 interview on Accra-based Neat FM. At the time, he was reacting to media criticism of the indefinite nationwide strike declared by nurses.

In the recording, he said:

“Those journalists, we have marked them. They will come and meet us in the hospital; I am serious about this. I said they will come and meet us in the hospital and we will show them that we are professionals. They are in their offices saying all sorts of things they want, but when they come to us, we will prove to them in our consulting rooms that we are professionals. Not that we will do them evil but we will demonstrate that we are professionals. The nonsense they do on the radio, we won’t do the same, we will show them professionalism.”

Addressing the issue at a press briefing on Friday, August 29, GJA President, Albert Dwumfour, described the statement as “reckless” and “a blatant threat of violence against journalists in Ghana.”

He further stated that the Association considers the remarks “utterly irresponsible, deeply disturbing, and unbefitting of a leader of a professional health association.”

The GJA has therefore demanded that Dr. Tenkorang-Twum must, within five days, retract his “reckless comments,” issue an unqualified public apology to all journalists in Ghana, and provide assurance that he will never again endorse or encourage threats against the media.

Mr. Dwumfour warned, “We will hold him fully responsible in law and in public accountability for the consequences of his reckless statements.”

According to the Journalists Association, if Dr. Tenkorang-Twum fails to comply, it will take the matter to court and petition regulatory and human rights bodies, including the National Media Commission (NMC), the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and international watchdogs such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

The GJA said that it will hold Dr. Tenkorang-Twum personally accountable for any harm that may come to journalists in hospitals or other public spaces as a result of his remarks.

It also urged the leadership of the GRNMA to “publicly dissociate itself from these comments,” warning that silence would be seen as endorsement.

“Finally, we urge the Government of Ghana, the Ministry of Health, and the security agencies to take immediate steps to assure journalists of their safety in hospitals and other public spaces,” the Association added.