Journalists in the Upper East region were left stranded after a rickety 207 Benz bus that transported them during the President’s visit to the Upper East region broke down in the middle of the journey to Bawku.
The team which was expected to join the President during his visit to Bawku and Garu could not make the journey on time as the President’s convoy sped off unconcerned about the plight of the journalists.
While passing by, the information Minister, Mustapha Hamid stopped by but picked only the crew of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, leaving Journalist from other media houses stranded.
Expressing their frustrations when a1radioonline.com contacted some of the journalists who were stranded close to the Tili forest, they indicated that it is a shame that planners of the President’s visit could not afford to provide journalists with a comfortable vehicle.
They mentioned that the country has not learned any lesson and continue to handle journalist especially journalists not based in Accra as second-class individuals.
Some journalists who were able to make it for the journey had to beg passerby drivers who allowed them to squeeze themselves into their boots with some occupying small spaces.
Speaking to A1 Radio News, Chairman of the Upper East regional Chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association, Eric Amoh said he blames the journalists for the unfortunate incident.
According to him, the Journalists should have rejected the vehicle even before the President’s convoy moved mentioning that it is a clear indication that authorities in the region do not have respect for the Press because there are several vehicles in various state institutions which could have bused the Press men rather than the rickety vehicle they were provided with.
“I don’t blame the politician, I blame our colleagues. You cannot kill yourself for the politician. What I have to do now is to see the managers of the RCC and question why they should treat journalists with such contempt. I am very happy the Minister for Information was also there to see what happened,” he said
Source: GhanaWeb
