The government has promised relief to victims of electoral violence, particularly those who suffered attacks during the 2020 and 2024 elections.Speaking during a courtesy call by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) at the Jubilee House in Accra, on Friday, September 5, President John Dramani Mahama revealed that, he has received a report from the Ghana Police Service with records of all victims of electoral violence citing that fater all the necessary review is completed on the report, victims will be rightly compensated.

According to him, this comes after he tasked the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to investigate the incidents upon assuming office, adding that the IGP has delivered on his mandate by presenting him with a comprehensive report detailing all those affected, including individuals who lost their lives and those who sustained various degrees of injury.

His outfit has submitted the report to the Attorney General for perusal, to determine the rightful compensation package for the victims.

“I wish to inform you that last week, I received the investigative report on the two incidents, and they have detailed and catalogued everybody who was affected by the violence and the circumstances that led to the violence.”

“We have given him [the Attorney General] the terms of reference to look at what adequate compensation would be for people who have been the victims of violence, including those who died, their families are still there, and then those who were some have been injured and are living with injury.“What is the adequate compensation that we can give to people like that?”, President Mahama noted.

He continued, “ We have handed it over to the Attorney General, and he’s going to go through, and if there’s the need to hold some people culpable and bring them to book, the Attorney General will do that”.Additionally, President Mahama has assured that the compensation package will also include journalists who, over the years, have been victims of electoral violence on multiple occasions.

“...And so once that is done, I’m sure that if there were journalists involved, they would also be considered for compensation,” he added.

His comments follow a reminder by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) President, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, to President Mahama to fulfil his campaign promise of protecting and ensuring the safety of journalists. He appealed to the president to ensure that,

“Unwarranted attacks on journalists must end. We call on you to ensure that perpetrators of violence against media personnel are held accountable.”

During a media engagement on August 16, 2024, President Mahama gave his word to journalists that, when he assumed power, the media would have their freedom to execute their mandate without intimidation. He said:

“The best thing you can give the media is to give them the freedom to do their work. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened under this government. Media people have been hounded, some have run into exile, some have been threatened, their lives have been threatened, and indeed some have paid the ultimate price like Ahmed Suale did.”

He continued with a personal pledge:

“You can trust that as a person who is a member of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) myself, I am not the kind of person who would hound the media, and so one gift I can give to you is the freedom to do your work without anybody intimidating and harassing you.”

Consequently, Mr. Dwumfour urged President Mahama to exercise his executive powers by enacting stronger laws that would empower security agencies to protect journalists.

According to the GJA President, attacks on journalists are often premeditated, making them serious offences that require tougher laws to curb such conduct.

“Your Excellency, we encourage you to invoke your executive powers to enact a law to empower security agencies to protect journalists. Since most of these attacks are premeditated, they must be treated as aggravated offences. If we continue to treat them as misdemeanours, it will not serve as a deterrent,” he stressed.

History of attacks on journalists

Ghana has a troubling history of attacks on journalists. Recent cases of assaults, particularly during by-elections in recent times, have affected our ranking in press freedom on the global level, as confirmed by President Mahama.

Over the years, journalists have been attacked in their line of duty, some by civilians and in other cases by some security officials who are mandated to protect them.

Barely two months ago, about three journalists were assaulted during the coverage of the Ablekuma North by-election held on July 11.

During the election, a police officer deployed to one of the polling stations, Church of Pentecost, North Odorkor 4 polling station, slapped and pushed a GHOne TV journalist, Kwabena Agyekum Banahene. According to the journalist, the police officer singled him out during his coverage of the by-election. When he refused to leave, explaining that he was doing his duty to report the electoral process, the officer still went ahead to assault him without justification, even after presenting him with an ID card. He sustained mouth injuries and was treated at Cocoa Clinic.

Another disturbing attack was that on ATV-Ghana’s journalists, Vida Wiafe, who was hit with pepper spray by police officers at St. Peter’s Society Polling Station while interviewing voters. She lost consciousness and required medical attention.

Sally Martey, a JoyNews reporter, was assaulted on live TV by a masked thug who slapped her from behind and shoved her to the side while reporting at the same polling station. The incident was captured on video and widely condemned.

Also, about two journalists who have faced repeated assaults in their line of duty are JoyNews’ Latif Iddrisu and galamsey reporter Erastus Donkor.

Latif’s case is currently still being dragged in court. On March 27, 2018, he was brutally beaten by police officers at the CID Headquarters in Accra, which nearly cost him his life.

According to reports, this near-fatal assault occurred while he was covering a protest. During an engagement with some of the protesters, officers turned on him, striking him repeatedly. He suffered head injuries, including a fractured skull, with the trauma leading to long-term neurological complications.

Latif underwent extensive medical treatment and therapy, including care in California, USA. Despite attempts to return to frontline reporting, he continues to struggle with pain and trauma.

The officers involved have not been publicly prosecuted to date. In a separate incident this year, March 27, Latif was covering a protest at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in Accra related to the arrest of NPP’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) when he was physically assaulted by NPP supporters, threatened, and later received death threats via text message warning him to withdraw his police complaint. Latif was forced into hiding due to threats against him and his family. He requested police protection, but no tangible response was provided.

However, one suspect, Theophilus Thompson, has since been arrested. On June 7, Theophilus was apprehended and is currently in police custody. On the other hand, investigations are ongoing to identify other perpetrators.