The Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafo, has said that he will not apologise for his stance on the Ghana Journalists Association’s (GJA) directive to blacklist two members of parliament.
Mr. Ayeboafo had publicly criticised the GJA’s directive, describing it as “dysfunctional and unproductive”, and suggested that legal avenues should be pursued to address such acts of impunity against journalists.
His comment has drawn criticism from the GJA president, Albert Dwumfour, and some members of the public.
Mr Dwumfour expressed disappointment in the comments of the NMC Chair and maintained that the GJA exhausted all relevant law institutions before proceeding with the directive.
However, Mr Ayeboafo asserted that he, like others, is entitled to his views and opinions, adding that he would not hold a grudge against anyone for their views on the matter.
He reiterated that if the relevant institutions had not addressed previous attacks, the media fraternity should collectively explore other methods to demand justice rather than directing a blackout.
“I will not apologise to anybody for holding that position because that is my view, and I will not begrudge anybody from holding a contrary view,” Mr Ayeboafo said on Citi News.
“My position, and I posited it in my presentation, is that we must not be dismayed because there was something, and we said that there were impediments in our way. We must work together to ensure that those impediments are removed, and from henceforth, we demand justice,” he added.