Blows at GJA Over Election Disputes As Chairs Fly left Right Centre in A Rambo Movie Style

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The Press Centre of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) was on Wednesday turned into a ground for pugilism as senior Journalists engage in near fisticuffs amidst throwing of Chairs.

The furore which was occasioned by a disagreement over a protracted GJA elections according to sources started by Daily Graphic’s Assistant Editor Mr. Charles Benoni Okine after he had thrown a chair at Senior Journalist and former GJA Executive and GIJ Lecturer, Mr. Mac Kwame over what witnesses described as unprovoked.

But for the timely alertness of Mac Kwame, he would have been hospitalized by now as the force and pressure moving with the chair according to witnesses was enough to cause a fatal injury to him. Unfortunately Charles Benoni Okine missed his target and the chair narrowly hit one Kissi Yeboah of GNA, injuring him in the process.

Mr. Mac Kwame told senaradioonline.com in an interview that the meeting which was between members of the Electoral Commission and the Electoral Supervisory Committee of GJA came to an abrupt end because of the actions of Charles Okine.

He revealed that during his submission, he was interjected by members but he kept his cool but when he laughed during Charles Okine’s submission, Charles Okine took offence and warned him not to laugh followed by using derogatory words against him.

According to him, immediately he stood up to respond to Charles then he saw Charles throwing the chair at him in an anguish manner.

“I mean how can you tell me not to laugh at a meeting. What Charles did shocked everybody and it is the least I expected any of the men and the women at the meeting to do”, Mr. Mac Kwame said.

He added that even though he is being prevailed upon to report the issue to the Police for an action to be taken, he is still weighing the options.

The incident has created apprehension, fear and Panic amongst Journalists who feel that what happened at the Press centre on Wednesday is a dressed rehearsal of what is to be expected on the day of the election if only it would be held at all , considering the hullabaloo, accusations and counter accusations of fraudulently adding non-Journalists to the list of GJA members to favour a particular Candidate.

“Are the footprints shadowing the walk ways worth walking on….to where?

Don’t we think, we are but our own enemies who set the agenda for some neophytes with myopic minds to have the temerity to denigrate this noble profession called Journalism?”, one Journalist fumed.

The electoral deadlock which is currently bedeviling the GJA (following what has been described by connoisseurs as mafia and machination from certain quarters at the Press Centre to push one of the Candidates into the throat of Journalists by force) , casts a slur on the Association as it defeats the honour and premium placed on us as the fourth estate of the realm.

The sad aspect of what is happening is the fact that the GJA Awards which represents the pride of Journalists will not be held this year due to failure of the GJA to organize elections and elect new Executives to take up the mantle as the tenure of the current Executives has elapsed for over a year.

Senaradioonline.com will continue to watch the space to see if indeed the elections and the Awards will be held but until then, your guess is as good as mine.

Source:www.senaradioonline.com