Failure to resolve Ahmed Suale's murder, a big indictment – Media Expert

MFWA warns of deterioration in the civic space in which media operates

Ghana’s media suffers from economic forces – Prof. Gadzekpo

Attacks on media persons have chilling effect on journalism practice – Prof Gadzepko

A professor with the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Ghana, Professor Audrey Gadzepko has expressed fury at the government for its inability to make progress in identifying and prosecuting the culprits behind the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale.

According to her, the government’s inability to bring to book persons who perpetrated the murder is a big indictment on human rights and press freedom credentials.

“Equally indicting is the still-unresolved murder in 2019 of Ahmed Hussein Suale who worked with investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.”

Since the death of the Journalist on January 16, 2019, six persons have been arrested in connection to the death but were later granted bail. There has been no significant development in the investigations regarding the murder case.

Meanwhile, the GJA has tasked the Ghana Police to scale up investigations into the case.

Shedding more light on the factors crippling the media's ability to perform its watchdog responsibilities, Professor Gadzekpo urther lamented some negative factors that have influenced the works of journalists and other media persons in the country including “attacks on journalists and serious threats to free speech media freedoms and the safety of journalists.”

She noted that some journalists and media houses have come under attack for challenging the norms, citing the recent attack on a radio station in Ada.

“A more recent example of another egregious attack happened at Radio Ada, a community radio station that has been challenging the lack of transparency and accountability in the privatization of the salt lagoons and advocating for better governance in the extraction of Ada’s natural resource, which is salt.”

Noting the impact such attacks have on the profession, she said "physical, verbal, and psychological attacks and reprisals against journalists or even the fear of violence have a chilling effect on journalism practice."