The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have been urged by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to take the initiative and provide regular updates regarding the helicopter crash incident that killed eight people a week ago, including three senior government officials, two cabinet ministers, and three Air Force crew members.
Giving the public an update on the occurrence would assist in allaying their fears and conjectures, according to Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, President of the GJA.
This was said by Mr. Dwumfour on Wednesday when he led an Association team to meet with Lieutenant General William Agyapong, the GAF’s Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), at his office at Burma Camp in Accra.
The engagement’s goals were to express sympathy to the GAF for the loss of the eight people lost in the helicopter crash and to talk about the problem of military members attacking journalists.
“I know you have already started investigations into the helicopter crash incident, but I will, respectfully, urge you and invoke your authority to start giving periodic updates. This is because this is a country where misinformation and disinformation thrive and fake news can contaminate the minds and hearts of people,” Mr. Dwumfour stated.
“I believe that periodic and constant briefing, in this regard, will help clear some doubts,” Mr. Dwumfour added.
To preserve the friendly connection between the GAF and the GJA, he encouraged the CDS to make sure that the problem of military assault on journalists was adequately resolved.
“We have always said that the military is our friend. The GJA had always enjoyed a very good and cordial relationship with the military high command, and I promise you that we will do the same under your leadership,” Mr. Dwumfour reiterated.
He conveyed the GJA’s condolences to the GAF and the families of those killed in the helicopter accident.
As investigations into such occurrences take time, Lt. Gen. Agyapong asked the public to exercise patience with the GAF in providing regular information on the helicopter crash incident.
“Investigations into aircraft accidents of this nature take time. Probably, for what you are referring to, when incidents like this happen, the initial communication that comes up has to do with the passengers and where the families of the passengers can receive information, but the initial communication cannot delve into the accident,” Lieutenant General Agyapong said.
According to the CDS, one of the nation’s quickest recovery exercises involving a helicopter crash was the one conducted by the GAF following the incident.
He claims that it took three days for the GAF to reach the disaster area during the most recent recovery exercise, which was conducted after a similar tragedy happened in the Atiwa forest.
Lt. Gen. Agyapong described the procedure used to move the remains of the helicopter crash incident from the accident scene to Accra, saying, “In our case, when we suspected that something might have happened to the Air Force Z-9 aircraft, it took us an additional 30 minutes for us to apply the known protocols to see where it was.”
“We don’t endorse assault on journalists and civilians. Probably what we haven’t done is that to appease the victims, we need to let them know what punishment has been meted out to the culprits,” stated Lt. Gen. Agyapong.
As a result, he promised the GJA regular briefings on the penalties imposed on military personnel implicated in assault incidents.
Source: newsthemegh.com