I read a story on myjoyonline.com on 6th January 2010 under the above heading. I could not help laughing out loudly after reading the entire story which was first published in the Daily Graphic of the same day and was reproduced on myjoyonline.com

The summary is that, that story just said “It has now been established that, the Tamale metropolitan Police commander was indeed shot with a gun” the unanswered question still remains; who shot at him and with what gun?

There are several other questions to ask reading that story, firstly who “established” that, the Tamale Police Commander was indeed shot? Was it the Daily graphic or Joyfm or both? In any case is the Daily Graphic or Joyfm medical officers?

It doesn’t have to take the media or the police to confirm that anybody was shot that is not the role of the Media. And that is why I personally think that it is in the interest of the media to try to stay far away from confirmations of who shot what, and at whom?

The other question is what is the name of the medical officer who “established” that, the Tamale police commander was indeed shot? Since the media is now ready to “established” shootings, why has the same media failed to tell readers what gun was used, who did the shooting and the other unanswered questions? I am not in anyway disputing the fact that, there could have been a shooting at the NPP regional elections on the 3rd January, 2010. What is of interest to readers and Ghanaians is that, who did the shooting? So far no media house has been able to provide any evidence to this effect beyond the speculations! We did like to know whether the bullet that hit the police commander came from the guns of the police or from any other person. In any case why is there a huge contradiction in relation to the shooting? For instance the Tamale metropolitan police commander said he was shot with a gun on 3rd January 2010. Then on 4th January 2010, the northern regional police commander said on joyfm that, medical officers at the Tamale teaching hospital could not tell whether it was a gun or not that injured the Tamale Police commander.

The contradictions did not end there, the Daily graphic just came out with an empty story to the effect that,” it has now been “established” that the Tamale Police commander was indeed shot with a gun” but failed to tell who confirmed the shooting and what gun was used and who indeed did the shooting? My view is that, what the daily graphic “manufactured” which was also reproduced by myjoyonline does not do journalism and Ghana any good. It only adds to the ambiguity surrounding the issue under discussion. The daily graphic is in business because of every Ghanaian. It is a state newspaper and I think readers deserve better than this propaganda it is now churning out to readers.

I am still advocating for answers to the questions I raised in this article; who shot the gun if there was indeed shooting at all? I will dole my hat to any media house that would be able to bring to readers the perspective of the medical doctors at the Tamale teaching hospital about the shooting so that, we would be spared the views and opinions of the media, journalists, and social commentators.

Until this is done the question still remains; who shot at the NPP regional congress in Tamale and with what gun?

AKILU SAYIBU, UK

EMAIL: Akilu.sayibu@live.uwe.ac.uk