Award-winning journalist and renowned anti-corruption crusader, Manasseh Awuni Azure, says the Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah should be commended and not vilified for his handling of the UTV studio invasion.
In his view, the Minister should be praised for promptly reporting the incident to the police. Mr. Azure noted that he had read the police statement, which confirmed that they received a report from the Information Ministry to take action on the matter stressing that, from his perspective, the Minister's actions should be seen as commendable.
"I'm known for my critical stance on this government's treatment of press and media freedom, but when you have an Information Minister reporting the actions of his own party members, and the police confirm this, I believe he should be commended, and I find nothing wrong with his response," Mr. Azure stated during his appearance on Newsfile on Saturday, October 14, 2023.
Following the UTV studio attacks, the GJA expressed disappointment with the Information Minister's approach in addressing the assault. They noted a disparity in tone and language between his statement condemning the invasion and a previous statement he issued when Dagbon FM was attacked by a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) earlier in the year. The GJA implied that the Minister had not been consistent in addressing such issues.
Nonetheless, Mr. Azure stood by the Minister's actions, asserting that his response was fitting and timely, given the specific circumstances surrounding the UTV studio incident. He argued that the GJA should collaborate with the Ministry of Information to address issues related to journalists' safety, rather than criticizing the Minister's response.