Investigate current GJA executives – Bukarson

The Affail Monney led executive of the Ghana Journalists Association, GJA, has come under intense pressure as calls for their investigations intensify.

Over the last week, the GJA has been in the limelight after the Association issued a controversial press statement in the wake of a 9 month investigative reports by Multimedia investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni started trickling in.

But former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the GJA, Listowell Yesu Bukarson believes that, the spontaneous reactions attacking the intentions behind the press release are “tantamount to bringing the image of the GJA into disrepute”.

“I call for the immediate resignation of the GJA executive embloc” He said.

“Aside of that, they must be investigated without delay” Mr Bukarson stressed.

He believes that, the actions of the executicves have denigrated the reputation of the GJA making them liable for impeachment or removal from office but in their own interest they must resign embloc.

“Articles 25 clause B, of the 2004 constitution of the GJA, states that, “an executive member shall be removed from office if he/she, brings his/her office into gross disrepute , ridicule or contempt” he argued.

“Clearly the actions of the GJA executives, from the total condemnation the greeted the statement, have hurt and humiliated brand GJA, and therefore a crystal breach of the above constitutional provision, hence they must leave office” He added.

Mr. Bukarson who is the Executive Director of Media NGO, The Press Foundation and an International Freelance Journalist, wondered why the GJA issued that a statement which he described as “unreasonably weird and absurd”.

“The least the GJA could do, was to encourage Manasseh Azure and the multimedia group for such an impressive step at enhancing investigative journalism. And not to stab them as summed up in the needless press statement” he fumed.

“I call for not just the resignation of the executives embloc, but be subjected to investigations as well. Because the release must have only been motivated by some form of influence” he accused.

“Within one week from today, if the executives don’t leave office, I will initiate the constitutional procedure for the removal of the executives from office by writing a petition to the Ethics and Disciplinary Council stating reasons why they must be removed as enshrined in article 26(a) of the constitution. He said.

“In the meantime, the executives, having over stayed their office for over a year, cannot superintend the impending elections of the Association”. He added.

“I guess, under this executive a lot of things have gone wrong with the GJA. Which wrongs must be corrected to salvage the increasing dwindling image of this enviable Association?” Mr. Bukarson asked.

“I want to encourage Manasseh Azure Awuni, multimedia and all other well-meaning journalists who have taken to investigative journalism to keep blazing the trail”. He added.