I hope this utterance of mine will not end my ‘suspicious romance’ with the Ghana Journalists Association. As a journalist who has had some brushes with the current GJA executives before, I have always said the Ghana journalists Association is not an Association. It is either a group of persons that exists in name; represented by some self-conceited individuals or a group of persons that does not know what they are about.

First, there was an accident that claimed the life of the Ghanaian Times reporter, Samuel Nuamah and injured several other journalists. Journalists who were part of the trip and were in the rickety Ford bus have been giving their accounts- first-hand accounts of course. These persons were either close to the action or were involved in the action.

It is public knowledge that needs no contradiction, “Journalists on board the vehicle that was returning from Ho in the Volta Region where the president had attended a programme organized by the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) church complained about the recklessness of the driver”.

In furtherance of that, there have been calls for investigations to be carried out to ascertain what went wrong; so such an unfortunate happening would not recur. The Association that we belong (I believe I would not be denied my membership this time round), holds a meeting with government officials that were far from ‘the action point’  and then comes out to defend with all their might the position of the government officials ignoring the accounts of their own members. This indeed does not make sense! (Emphasis mine)

So, does it not worry the Association that when investigations are underway, one does not jump over the fence to make conclusive remarks pre-emptive of the investigations being conducted? It is indeed not surprising when I heard that the National Roads Commission has come out to say that the vehicle that is at the centre of this controversy is not roadworthy.

Perhaps, my memories from my childhood growing up in my little village in the Central Region are not a deception. One of the  most beautiful things I recorded when I was growing up was how my mother reacted when there was a standoff with friends. Even without listening to my side of the story, she jumps to my defence and ensured sanity prevailed. She would however, discipline me later if she found I misconducted myself in the confusion.

In the same vein, when one joins an Association, the Association more or less assumes the duty of how mothers behave. Members of the Association expect the Association to among other things become their voice, provide security for them and to assure them of being there for them. The least one expects is for the Association to have his/her back when the going gets tough but for the Ghana Journalists Association, it is the other way round. When their child is being beaten by a stranger, they will rather provide the ammunitions and moral support for the stranger to beat the child more.

The GJA is behaving as if they are directors in a Hollywood car accident thriller, where they can put characters in and out of scenes. In their haste to defend officialdom, they make mistakes that blow their cover to reveal their real identities. They hurriedly insert a character (Wisdom Awuku) in the drama piece when evidence adduced so far shows that he was not in the Ford bus.  So, is it that the GJA does not trust the account of her own? Why is it so easy and cheap for the GJA to trust the Chief of Staff rather than to trust Ghana Television’s Napoleon Ato Kittoe who narrates the vehicle had two close shaves before the accident?

Mark the words of the GJA president, “after a meeting between the Association and the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, it has been concluded that there was no wrongdoing. The Chief of Staff assured that it was purely an accident and the state of the vehicle could not be blamed neither the driver”.

The GJA is indeed suffering from leadership paralysis. Affail Monney and his folks are running the show like tired old men. There is no clear vision and mission in the office they are holding. Mention one GJA awards that was bereft of controversies and I will tell you why it was not without a controversy.

The GJA has really failed journalists in Ghana. Journalists in this country are without a mouthpiece and a representation. When journalists encounter problems or are abused, the closest of efforts the GJA makes is to issue a predictable statement. Finito! They are done. No legal representation, no effort to ensure that the skirmishes would not recur. Whose interest is the GJA serving? My interest or that of the people who abuse and inflict pain on us?

As a journalist who reports from the Central region, the GJA has not made any attempt to bring its members together to fight a common course. There are no meetings organized; there is no clear agenda to whip up the interest of journalists; joining the Association and paying one’s dues is as difficult as the proverbial Carmel entering the hole in the needle. Even common ID cards, the GJA cannot issue to their members. So who are they and what do they stand for?

Ever wondered what the best journalist of the year gets and the troubles the person goes through before getting the peanuts given to such a person? I believe the GJA should be investigated in the amounts of money and souvenirs that come to them to organize the GJA awards. They should provide, for want of a better expression, further and better particulars’ of their stewardship.

Why should journalists in this country have such persons manning their affairs? I deserve better and you also deserve better.

The only thing to do now is to mop up a lot of people to pick up membership forms so the current group of GJA executives would be booted out of the office when elections are organized. Get involved as a journalist. Do not sit on the fence.

The writer, Richard Kwadwo Nyarko is a broadcast journalist with JOY 99.7 FM. His email is oguaafisherman@gmail.com. Like his Facebook page- Richard Kwadwo Nyarko. Twitter: @quajo2009.