My sadness when I heard some of my colleagues covering President John Mahama have been involved in an accident was quickly swallowed up by anger. Yes I’m damn angry! I’m angry because for years I heard about the horrible stories from some of my colleagues who covered the first man of the land.
Samuel Nuamah, rest in peace. I feel for your wife and your little child. My friend William of Peace FM, I hear you are battling for your life at the hospital. I am praying for you, I pray you recover soon. I hear colleagues on the bus even thought you had died because of the condition you were in when help arrived. I am praying for the families of all those who are in the hospital.
Because of the way, our governance works, being a presidential correspondent is one of the most important duties in every newsroom. You are close to the Commander in Chief and the source of, sometimes, all the big news stories.
But I wonder if the president knows the conditions under which most of the journalists who follow him around work. He probably respects them. He doesn’t know that in many instances, they are treated shabbily.
I understand that with all the pressures of government, he does not wake up in the morning thinking about which vehicle will convey the journalists who travel with him. But you see, once they move because he moves, they are his responsibility. In fact that is why they are called the “Presidential Press Corps.”
The excuses may sound very convincing but the excuses won’t bring Samuel Nuamah back. The little child has been deprived of a father.
Who’s idea was it to hire a Ford bus for the journos?
Sadly this is not even the first time. Can you imagine? So a certain trotro driver is sitting behind a Ford bus wheel and “flying” on the road following the President’s convoy (Not in this Volta Region situation though). Mind you, any driver that follows a president’s convoy needs specialised training. Besides, do they even check whether the vehicles they put the journalists in are in good condition? Or they are not as important as those on the presidential convoy?
What also baffles me is that, the presidency with all the money and access could not fix any of the four broken down press corps vehicles but rented a rickety vehicle for them to travel on to cover the President in the Volta Region. Is it that they do not value the lives of journalists?
Bad treatment
I know a few of the Presidential press corps team members. I also know a few who got tired of the insults, disrespect and mistreatment of those in charge of the media at the Presidency. They are all singing from the same hymn book; “they don’t treat us well.” I know respect is earned, but the issue just goes beyond that. As reported by some of the journalists themselves, the individuals who are in charge do not appreciate the work of the journalists who bring to Ghanaians, the activities of the president. That leaves me wondering why these people even have jobs there.
I have heard stories about how they have gone hungry for hours following the president from town to town. They can’t stop and find food anywhere because the convoy is moving too fast and nobody will bother. They have been stuffed in stinking, cockroach infested hotel rooms, all in the name of covering the president. Those close to the President, you can bet they will not be found in such hotels.
Nonetheless, I will not insulate these journalists from blame. They take all the “crap” and murmur, without protesting. The sad and muted truth there is that, if you protest, the bosses will leave you out of the next international trip by the President. Yes I have said it!
Insurance
It’s sad to acknowledge that many of the media houses in this country have not insured their journalists. Our job can be dangerous. Extremely dangerous. If your legs get chopped off in the line of duty, sadly, you take the rest of your body home. You may be compensated but trust me, it won’t take you far.
How about the Presidency, for the sake of good name and responsibility, insure all the press corps members. Motor insurance for these journalists will not be over the moon. When the election season fully kicks off next year, it be will crazy. Maybe the media houses can insist that if the presidency does not insure them, nobody will cover the President.
The Ghana Journalists Association
I think this is another opportunity to redeem the battered image of the Association. I know they have concerns too but they have heard about the ill-treatment some of the journalists endure at the presidency.
You can champion this course.
When I mentioned your name in connection with this matter, people wrote you off and promised you won’t do anything about it.
Please prove them wrong!
Like I said, it didn’t have to cost a life but at this point, Mr President you should be concerned about the men and women who cover you and they must be treated right. There should be a codified procedure on how journalists follow any President of the land.
Either the media houses take care of their own bills, get correspondents to cover in the various regions or the presidency should stop taking care of the movement of journalists if they have to cover him.
Thank you
Nana Boakye-Yiadom's Blog 