The Member of Parliament for Yendi, Farouk Aliu Mahama, has declared his intentions to pursue legal action against Citi FM/TV’s Mohammed Aminu Alabira, Omni Media Company Limited and the Northern regional chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).
The move comes in response to what Mahama claims is false reporting on an incident during the New Patriotic Party‘s primaries in Yendi.
On 28 January, the legislator alleges that journalist Mohammed Aninu Alabira reported being slapped from behind while covering a scuffle in the Yendi Constituency.
Farouk Aliu Mahama vehemently denies the occurrence of such an incident and deems the report inaccurate.
Sylvester Isang, the lawyer representing Farouk Aliu Mahama, highlighted in an interview on the Big Bulletin that both the reporter and the Northern Regional Chapter of the GJA failed to verify the authenticity of the incident with Mahama himself.
“The journalism profession is driven by ethics, codes of conduct, and standard practice and when you are to make a report about somebody, basically you are supposed to attempt to reach the person at least to speak to you before you bring the information to the public.”
“What we are seeking to do is to call on those who wrote the malicious information about honourable Farouk Aliu Mahama to do the needful. Nowhere was it indicated that they tried to reach the MP for his side of the story. In fact, there’s a common saying that hear the other side first.”
“Standard journalism requires that you at least reach out to the other person,” he added.
Isang further revealed that Mahama and his legal team are demanding an open apology and compensation of GHC5,000 for damages.
The legal representative emphasised the importance of responsible journalism and the need for thorough fact-checking before publishing potentially damaging reports.
Read the full statement of Farouk Aliu Mahama’s demands
Reporting by Caleb Ahinakwah in Accra
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