THE Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has cautioned media practitioners in the region, particularly the electronic media, to exercise caution in the discharge of their duties by ensuring effective internal control systems.
It also reminded the media to uphold the tenets of the profession by always ensuring that they did not only cross-check their stories before putting them out but also ensure they were selective in the people they hosted on various programmes and during phone-in sessions.
The council attributed the immediate cause of the recent disturbances in the Tamale metropolis to some unguarded statements by some panellists during a debate on radio.
It pointed out that following the discussions at a radio station, which it declined to mention, an argument ensued among some butchers at the central market over the issues discussed at the station and that later degenerated into the conflict and subsequent death of one man and the destruction of property.
Members of the REGSEC revealed this during a meeting with selected media organisations in Tamale on Wednesday.
According to the Deputy Northern Regional Police Commander, ACP P.A. Sarpong, the meeting had been necessitated by last Tuesday’s violent clashes between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the metropolis.
In the process, one person, Abdul-Rashid Nashiru, lost his life, while many others sustained various degrees of injury.
ACP Sarpong further indicated that the arson that was recorded at some suburbs of the metropolis could be attributed to the news of Nashiru’s death that occurred around 1.30 a.m. on Wednesday.
On measures to ensure sanity in the metropolis, the commander revealed that “we are going to strengthen our presence in the metropolis and also increase our patrols of the suburbs.”
He appealed to the people to always volunteer information and also help in identifying perpetrators of violence, since that was the only way culprits could be apprehended and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent.
For his part, the Northern Regional Co-ordinating Director, Mr Joseph Mahama Dasana, called for more collaboration between the REGSEC and the media to help ensure peace in the area at all times.
As of the time of filing this story yesterday, 14 suspects who had been arrested in connection with the clashes were being prepared for court.
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