Fatimatu Abubakar, the minister of information in Ghana, has criticized Larry Madowo, a CNN International correspondent and host of the “African Voices Changemakers and Playmakers” series, for his report on the arrests of some individuals during the recent anti-galamsey demonstration held by the Democracy Hub in the nation’s capital, Accra, from Saturday, 21 September 2024, to Monday, 23 September 2024.
The information minister expressed her displeasure with the CNN journalist’s reporting of the 39 arrests in a post on her X handle on Thursday, September 26, 2024, in response to a Madowo video report.
She said that the CNN journalist’s report was biased because he only covered one side of the story.
“I’ll be watching Ghana’s president speak in New York this morning as police in Accra continue to detain peaceful protestors against illegal mining. People are rallying under #FreeTheCitizens after Ghanaian police violently broke up 3 days of #StopGalamseyNow protests,” Larry Madowo wrote on his X handle.
“Dear @LarryMadowo, Please do well to check and report on both sides of a story when making publications that impact a country’s image. Ghana has always supported citizens’ right to demonstrate peacefully.
“However, acts of vandalism, attacks on police, and disruptions to public order will always be contained by the Police in any jurisdiction,”Fatimatu Abubakar, the information minister wrote in response.
“Ghana’s courts are also mature enough to examine evidence against accused persons and make appropriate decisions,” the information minister’s post further read.
The demonstrators unlawfully gathered at the 37 Intersection on September 21, 2024, and they engaged in a number of activities, including some being extremely disruptive to the general public and the motoring public.
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The illegal protest resulted in the “blocking of the intersection in all directions with vehicles, stones, and logs, causing massive vehicular traffic across the city, setting fire to the intersection, harassing and attacking road users, including Military and Police officers, abusing Military and Police officers, banging on vehicles, playing football on the road, and causing unlawful damage.”
54 people were arrested, and all of them have been brought before the court in accordance with the law’s due process. An official Police communication stated, “The Attorney General is prosecuting the case.”
