ACCRA, April 4, (GJA) – THE Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has distanced itself from a group of Ghanaians claiming to be journalists who were deported from Australia ahead of the Commonwealth Games which opened Wednesday.
The so-called journalists were deported because the Australian authorities were not convinced about their mission since they did not carry the requisite equipment for the coverage of such sporting event.
In a statement signed by its President, Affail Monney, the GJA said it did not know the identity of the so-called journalists.
It, therefore, called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the police to investigate the matter in order to redeem the image of Ghanaian journalists in particular and the nation in general.
Below is the full statement by the GJA:
GJA Distances Itself From Deported “Journalists”
It has come to the notice of the National Executive of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) that about 50 people purporting to be Ghanaian journalists are being / have been deported from Australia ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games scheduled to begin in that country today, April 4, 2018. According to reports, the Australian authorities were not convinced about the mission of the purported journalists in that country because although they claimed to be journalists and had genuine visas, many of them did not carry the recommended equipment for the coverage of such sporting event.
The GJA wishes to put on record that it does not know the identity of the purported journalists; neither is it aware of their mission in Australia. Although Ghanaian journalists travelling outside the country for official events are not obliged to inform the GJA about their assignments, it is quite strange that the GJA is not aware of the identity of the deportees, including the media institutions they represent.
The GJA notes that the deportation of the purported journalists from Australia has the tendency to soil the image of Ghanaian journalists in particular and Ghana as a whole. For that reason, we call on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the police and other relevant institutions to thoroughly investigate the matter in order to establish the true identity of the deportees for the purposes of redeeming the image of Ghana and Ghanaian journalists.
The GJA wishes to take this opportunity to advise Ghanaian journalists travelling outside the country for official assignments to follow the requisite protocols of their host countries and the event organisers in order to avoid embarrassment. Furthermore, they may seek the assistance of the GJA to facilitate their assignments.
Signed:
Affail Monney
(President)