Ghana’s Minister for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, has criticized CNN International correspondent, Larry Madowo, for what she describes as an unbalanced report on the arrests made during the recent anti-galamsey protest in Accra.
In a post on her X handle on September 26, 2024, the Information Minister expressed her displeasure with Madowo’s coverage, accusing him of only presenting one side of the story regarding the arrest of 39 protesters from the Democracy Hub demonstration held between September 21 and 23, 2024.
Larry in a post on X said, “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”.
The Information Minister in response to his post said, “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”.
“Ghana’s courts are also mature enough to examine evidence against accused persons and make appropriate decisions,” the information minister’s post further read.
On 21st September 2024, the demonstrators unlawfully assembled at the 37 Intersection and engaged in the following acts, among others, which caused extreme inconvenience to the general public, particularly the motoring public.
The unlawful protest led to the “blocking of the intersection in all directions with vehicles, stones and logs, causing massive vehicular traffic across the city, setting fire in the intersection, harassing and attacking road users including Military and Police officers, abusing Police and Military officers, banging on vehicles, playing football on the road and causing unlawful damage.”
“In all, 54 persons were arrested and all of them have been put before the court in line with the due process of the law. The case is being prosecuted by the Attorney General,” an official Police communique stated.
