This is Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo.
He is the Chairman of the National Media Commission.
He is a veteran journalist. He has a very illustrious career in journalism.
One time GJA Journalist of the Year.
One time Editor of the Daily Graphic.
He is a lawyer.
He is in the news for criticizing the Ghana Journalists Association for asking media houses to boycott politicians and persons who brutalize journalists.
It is a very shocking turn of events for many. But not for me, and definitely not for my boss and friend, William Nyarko.
Here is why:
When Mr. Ayeboafo won the GJA Journalist of the Year, he used his speech to chastise GIJ at the time for churning out half-baked graduates, particularly when it comes to their mastery of the English language.
Meanwhile, the prescribed attire for the GJA Awards event was clearly stated on the invite as FORMAL. But Mr. Ayeboafo, who sought to create the impression that he had better control of the English language than GIJ graduates, went to receive his award in a shaky fabric shirt and trousers. In fact his appearance was as casual as casual could be.
This is where William Nyarko comes he. Willie, aka Wakiki was then a second-year student at GIJ and I was in the first year. Willie took a picture of Mr. Ayeboafo and published it in the Ghanaian Chronicle alongside the GJA Awards invite. Willie told a story of how a man who criticized others for poor English, could appear this casual at an event where the dress code was clearly stated as FORMAL.
Days after the publication, Mr. Ayeboafo visited GIJ to engage with students. In our engagement, he made a very funny statement thus;
“When I won the GJA Journalist of the Year Award everybody sang my praises, only GIJ students sang my dirges”.
Mr. Ayeboafo is a journalist through and through, but he just love to get into trouble with journalists in his attempt to chastise journalists even where it is obvious there is nothing to chastise them about.
We have always criticized the leadership of journalists and even the NMC for not protecting journalists well enough. The recent past GJA President is on record as having supported politicians and state institutions who maltreated journalists for no justifiable reason. NMC itself has been criticized for not speaking up hard enough.
Today we have a GJA leadership which has been very emphatic in saying no to violence against journalists. Then the next moment, Mr. Ayeboafo wants to make himself relevant in the matter by going on the opposite side of the very people he is supposed to protect, without even consulting the GJA to know what informed their decision, and without suggesting any alternative way of dealing with the issues.
Very disappointing indeed.
By Samuel Nii Narku Dowuona