2011 GJA Journalist of the Year, Manasseh Azure Awuni has described his investigative piece on the Ford expedition ‘gift’ to Former President John Dramani Mahama as the most dangerous grounds he has ventured into as far as investigative journalism is concerned.
In an interview with Kofi TV, the multiple award-winning journalist explained that chances of some die-hard members and leaders of the then ruling NDC could have attacked him considering the political tension in the country at the time and the fact that the 2016 general elections were approaching.
He said, “I don’t believe the President himself would have harmed me, but some people are so dedicated to the party that they won’t allow you go free if you do anything to destroy the party’s chances of winning”.
Recounting his trip to Burkina Faso to interview the Burkinabe contractor who gifted the then Vice President the car, Azure said his wife (who was then his fiancée) fasted and prayed the whole day for his safe return as they both knew the step he was taking was very dicey.
According to him, although the interview with Djibril Kanazoe started on a good note because it wasn’t focused on the Ford gift, the Burkinabe got angry in the course of the interview particularly when he realized he had been ‘tricked’ into giving out information he didn’t want to.
“He asked me to pause and when I was doing that he snatched the recorder from me. He said I had tricked him into saying things he shouldn’t say and that he will only return the recorder to me after deleting the interview”.
After several unsuccessful attempts to play the interview, Manasseh says Mr Kanazoe connected the recorder to his laptop but couldn’t locate the file on the recorder leading him to believe that it might have been deleted when he snatched the recorder.
He added that Mr Kanazoe asked him to wait for him to return from a meeting at the American Embassy before they have the interview again but out of fear and uncertainty of his safety he returned to Ghana.
“It was getting late and since I wasn’t sure of my safety if I spent the night in the country, I asked him to let us finish the interview because I had to return to Ghana that day, but he said no. When we came out of the office, he left with another man and luckily for me the watchman was asleep, so I snuck out and found my way back to Ghana”.
Manasseh added that even though it is risky to probe top government officials, journalists should take up that charge and live up to the task that as that is the only way to eradicate corruption from the country.
Source: ghanaweb.com
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Could you have done the same thing if it was in NPP era and especially getting to election time.This shows how tolerant NDC members were,it would have caused your life if it was NPP then because the Delta force and the Invincible forces would have come for you and cut you into pieces. Try and do same to this Administration too if you have Ghana at heart.
IN ALL CORRUPTION REVELATIONS YOU WILL HAVE TO REVEAL EVIDENCE TO BACK OR DEPICT IT IS TRUE. UNDER NDC ALL THE CORRUPTION REVELATIONS WERE BACKED BY EVIDENCE, EXAMPLE MAHAMAS FORD GIFT WHICH CODE NAME HIM "JOHN FORD MAHAMA", WOYOME GATE, SUBA, JIDA, BUS BRANDING, DVLA BOSS CASH,A WHOLE LOT. NDC SHOULD MENTION JUST ONE SUCH EVIDENCE BASED CORRUPTION UNDER NANA'S TEN MONTH OLD RULE, NONE. MANASE GOD BLESS YOU. NDC YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THE GOVERNMENT IS CORRUPT. MAHAMA LED NDC THE MOST CORRUPT OF ALL TIMES
Do unto others what you want them to do unto you. We shall all reap what we sow.
You did well ....thats good journalism
thanks for your life.