General News of Friday, 6 March 2020

Source: a1radioonline.com

Allow journalists to use non-lethal weapons for self-defense - Security Analyst

Dr. Kwesi Biney Dr. Kwesi Biney

A Security Analyst is advocating for Journalists in Ghana to be trained and equipped with weapons as part of measures in addressing insecurity in the Media space.

According to Dr. Kwesi Biney who was sharing his views on the wake of threats and deaths of Journalists in their line of duty,this will go a long in ensuring that reported cases of Journalists being and attacked and to the extreme, killed in their line of duty was reduced.

He told Host of Daybreak Upper East on A1 Radio,Samuel Mbura that, in as much as the security agencies were responsible for the safety of the public,there was a deficit in the police to civilian ratio making it impossible for them to carry out their work as expected.

The Analyst therefore identified the need for the Media in Ghana which has been exposed to all kinds of attacks to be allowed to use pain-inducing weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target for self defense.

He however observed that,Ghana has not grown to a point that side-arms or guns can be given to Journalists because of lack of regulation and the serious security threat of weapons proliferation in the country.

“You people [Journalists] have to be given non lethal equipment ,things that can be used that cannot kill but can render the opponent weak for him or her to be apprehended like ;pepper spray,shockers. There are so many devices that are non-lethal”

“Until we grow up to a certain level of our economy and development that will be able to begin arms to journalists” He said.