Farouk Aliu Mahama, the Member of Parliament for Yendi, has announced that he intends to file a lawsuit against Mohammed Aminu Alabira of Citi FM/TV, Omni Media Company Limited, and the Northern regional chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).
The action is a reaction to what Mahama describes as inaccurate reporting regarding an incident that occurred during the Yendi primary for the New Patriotic Party.
The lawmaker claims that on January 28, when covering a brawl in the Yendi Constituency, journalist Mohammed Aninu Alabira reported getting smacked from behind.
Farouk Aliu Mahama strongly disputes that such an incident ever happened and believes the report to be false.
In an interview with the Big Bulletin, Farouk Aliu Mahama’s attorney, Sylvester Isang, emphasized that neither the reporter nor the Northern Regional Chapter of the GJA checked the veracity of the incident with Mahama personally.
“The journalism profession is guided by ethics, standards of conduct, and standard practice. Basically, before you release information to the public about someone you are reporting on, you are supposed to try to get in touch with them or have a conversation with them.”
Our goal is to summon the individuals responsible for penning the derogatory remarks about the esteemed Farouk Aliu Mahama and urge them to take appropriate action.
Nothing suggested that they made an effort to get in touch with the MP to hear his side of the story. Indeed, there is a proverb that goes, “Hear the other side first.”
“Traditional journalism necessitates making an effort to connect with the other party,” he continued. Isang went on to say that GHC5,000 in damages and an open apology are what Mahama and his legal team are requesting.
The legal counsel emphasized the value of ethical journalism and the necessity of careful fact-checking prior to the publication of potentially harmful reports.
