The National Democratic Congress in the Northern Region has asked Hardi Pagzaa, its former communications officer who allegedly attacked a Dagbon FM journalist earlier this week to apologise for his action.
This was made known by the NDC’s Northern Regional Secretary, Mohammed Abdul-Salam in an interview on with journalists.
Mr. Abdul-Salam said that the reported attack on the journalist, Sadiq Gariba, came to the leadership of the party in the region as a surprise and therefore triggered a decision where he was admonished to render an apology to both the journalist and the radio station.
According to Mr. Abdul-Salam, Hardi Pagzaa was scolded and made to understand that the party will not countenance any attempts by any member or leader to dent its image publicly.
“If we have proven evidence of anybody putting the party’s name in a bad light and bringing the party to the public domain for ridicule, we will not hesitate to apply the full rules and regulations of the party because giving us bad light tarnishes the party’s image, and we will not allow that.”
Mr. Abdul-Salam further clarified that Hardi Pagzaa isn’t a current executive of the party in the region.
“The conduct is not of our communications officer. This person is not any executive, he contested an internal election and lost, and he is not even a member of our communications team.”
The attack on the Tamale-based Dagbon FM and the journalist was captured in a video which has gone viral on social media.
The attack occurred on World Press Freedom Day on Wednesday, May 3, and has since attracted widespread condemnation from different quarters including the Ghana Journalists Association.
The Ministry of Information has also called for investigation and prosecution following the attack on the journalist.