The Ghana Journalists’ Association (GJA) is on collision course with its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Listowel Awambe Burkason, over his decision to enter active politics.

According to the GJA President, Affail Monney, Listowel Yesu Burkason’s decision to contest the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) Builsa North parliamentary primary in the Upper East Region has discredited his ability to be impartial in the eyes of the public.

“Indeed, Mr Burkason should have resigned before contesting the primaries. And after losing the primaries, Mr Burkason cannot remain in office because he has violated the GJA Constitution by publicly contesting for a position in a political party and compromised his position as the Regional GJA Chairman,” Mr Monney pointed out in a statement issued in Accra on Friday.

But Mr Burkason, in an earlier interview with DAILY GUIDE, said he was still the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the GJA and would hold himself as such anywhere in the country because he had not breached any law.

Media reports had indicated that he had been sacked as the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the GJA because of his affiliation with the NPP.

“I have not resigned; I have not been sacked and I will not resign as the Ashanti Regional Chairman. I am surprised that people are sending messages around as though it was an official document from the GJA.

Whoever is making this call or pushing this agenda that I should resign or be sacked is being hypocritical and should be ashamed of himself or herself,” Mr Burkason fumed.

No Breaches

According to him, he had not breached any portion of the association’s constitution; neither had he done anything that had tarnished the image of the GJA and so saw no reason why anybody should be making that call.

“If this call is as a result of my decision to contest in the recent New Patriotic Party parliamentary primaries in Builsa North, then it is unfortunate because that decision does not constitute a breach of the association’s constitution. If I had won and represented the party as its parliamentary candidate in 2016, then the issue of accepting a leadership position comes in.

In the recent past, there had been a regional chairman of the Ghana Journalists’ Association who contested in a constituency primary more than once and yet maintained his position as the regional chairman till he lost the association’s election. What has changed?” he queried.

Mr Burkason added that he suspected that his detractors were behind the agitation for his removal or resignation.