A known activist of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), popularly referred to as Alinco, has allegedly assaulted the General Manager of Trust 98.3FM, Omanba Kodwo Boafo, following a Facebook post regarding a halted assembly meeting in the Upper Manya Krobo District.
The incident occurred after Boafo published a post on his Facebook page highlighting holdups and tensions during a meeting organized by the Upper Manya Krobo District Assembly for the confirmation of the president’s nominee for District Chief Executive (DCE), Hon. Emmanuel Kwesi Lawer.
The post read: “Upper Manya Krobo District DCE confirmation: Assembly Hall comes to a standstill amidst caucus meetings.”
The post included a picture showing individuals present at the Assembly Hall, including the nominee.
Following the post, Alinco reportedly called the journalist at about 7:10 p.m. and demanded that he pull it down, threatening to attack him if he failed to comply.
“I will advise you to retract that thing within the next five minutes; otherwise, you will never get me like you know me,” Alinco is quoted as saying in a recorded telephone conversation.
“You can take it as a threat or whatever it is, I don’t care. That is why I said you should record it so that whatever happens, you might have evidence that I pre-informed you.”
Alinco is said to have been unhappy with the image used in the post and warned the journalist to seek permission for any future posts involving Hon. Emmanuel Kwesi Lawer.
“If you want Kwesi Lawer him picture for any of your write-ups, kindly contact me. It is not good at all,” he said.
Boafo told Trust FM on Wednesday morning that Alinco, accompanied by an unidentified man, later confronted him in the corridor of his home, demanding that he delete the Facebook post.
“A struggle between myself and Alinco over the phone got the phone falling on the ground. He picked it, asking me to enter the password for him to access and pull down the post,” Boafo recounted.
He further revealed that the encounter turned violent.
“Actually, I have no physical injury. However, he landed blows and slaps on my face and head,” he said.
“With the intervention of the District Crime Officer of the Asesewa Police Command, I have reclaimed my phone. The crime officer and my neighbours walked him out of my house.”
Despite Alinco’s claim that the meeting was not about DCE confirmation but about the election of a Presiding Member, the official letter inviting assembly members stated:
“You are hereby summoned to attend a Special General Assembly Meeting for the Confirmation of the President’s Nominee for the position of District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Upper Manya Krobo District Assembly to be held in the Assembly Hall at Asesewa on 6 May 2025 at 9:00 a.m.”
Boafo has since filed a complaint at the Asesewa Police Station, and a statement has been taken.
This is not the first time Alinco has been accused of assault. In December 2024, shortly after the general elections, he was alleged to have attacked on-air staff of Trust FM over reports linking him to the seizure of public toilets and facilities from assembly members perceived to be sympathetic to the outgoing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Attacks on Journalists in Ghana Increasing
The latest assault adds to growing concerns about journalist safety in Ghana. According to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), at least 18 cases of attacks on journalists were recorded in 2023. These incidents, often involving political actors and security personnel, have raised serious concerns about press freedom.
Ghana’s position on the 2023 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index dropped to 62nd, after ranking 60th in 2022. The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) continues to call for better protection for media professionals and for perpetrators of media-related violence to face justice.
Police say investigations are ongoing, and appropriate charges will be brought if necessary.
