Former President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Roland Affail Monney has taken a swipe at the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South Constituency, Samuel Atta Akyea for his recent comment deemed anti-journalistic.
Addressing the issue during an interview, Affail Monney stated that the comment is political as he indicated that he least expected it from the public figure who is well-exposed to the indispensable services of journalists.
“What he asserted is rooted in ignorance. This could be likened to a typical political talk and on such platforms, politicians who are consumed with all kinds of assumptions spew all kinds of things to either dazzle and to win votes. Journalism is a very serious profession. The one who made that assertion is a learned Member of Parliament and well exposed and he knows the importance of journalists. He has worked with journalists in his law firm, and he has worked with journalists in Parliament,” he told GhOne TV.
He believes the remarks have the propensity to get the legislator blacklisted by the media and advised him to “set himself on a reconciliation” trail with the media.
“Can you imagine the entire case which will envelop the whole second arm of government- Parliament- if the media should decide to boycott their activities? You can just imagine. I will dismiss it as a mere political talk…If the whole media decide to descend on Atta Akyea, the implication will be incalculable.”
He added that the journalism profession contributes in its special way to national and social development.
“Journalism contributes immensely to a country’s economic upswing, social uplift and democratic upgrade.”
Atta Akyea in his address at the launch of the 2024 Manifesto of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) urged Ghanaians to choose an economist over a journalist.
“Let’s hand Ghana over to an economist and not a journalist,” he is quoted as saying in reference to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and John Dramani Mahama.
Source:opemsuo.com