1,557
The Coalition of Civil Societies Against Political Vigilantism( CCSAPV) is a network of over 50 well meaning CSO’s coming together to execute an action plan against Political Vigilantism and all forms of Violence against persons playing active role in our democratic process. The Coalition has taken notice of a trending news item and public discussions about the alleged arrest, attack and torture of some journalists from the online news portal Morden Ghana and the punch newspaper . Emmanuel Siedu Ajarfo, one of the victims was a staff member of the punch newspaper recently before joining modern Ghana “First of all we members of this CSO’s Coalition unanimously condemn the arrest and alleged torture of these journalists pepertrated by persons believed to be from the National Security. We want to use this medium to remind the National Security that their core mandate is for the protection of the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian not to traumatise people who are doing the work(especially Journalists) and therefore must be reminded to act accordingly. We also call on the President of the Republic of Ghana who is the Head of the National Security Council to come out and condemn this attack on these journalists and institute a formal investigations into the circumstances leading to the torture of these Journalists by members of the National Security. Again we as Civil Societies who work in similar ways as Journalists knows that these deeds carried out by irresponsible State actors could also be carried out on any of our members in the discharge of their duties and so it is imperative that we remind Government of the Provisions of Article 162 which emphasises the freedom of the Press and several other provisions in the 1992 Constitution which emphasises the fundamental freedom of Speech and Expression of the ordinary Ghanaian. It is important we also remind the President (under whose tenure as Attorney General the Criminal Libel law was repealed and under whose tenure as President the Right to information bill was passed into law) to again rise up for the utmost protection of the lives of Journalists in their of duty by calling out and punishing members of the National Security and any other Agencies who uses their office to torture and victimise Journalists( including ordinary Ghanaians) for doing their work. We demand a more stronger action from Government on this particular matter and it must be soon”. SIGNED: Alimatu Issahak(ACWP)Executive Secretary, CCSAPV 0244222675 Eben K Fenuku(CiTAG)Co-Chair-CCSAPV Mensah Thompson (ASEPA)Chairman, CCSAPV0542120628Source :broadcastergh.com /Ayisah Foster 
