You owe Afenyo-Markin an apology – JoyNews told

The Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe and Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has questioned accountability standards within Ghana’s media industry following a disputed JoyNews report concerning Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin.

JoyNews reported that Mr Afenyo-Markin was expected to appear before members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Caucus to respond to extortion allegations levelled against him by GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi.

Mr Afenyo-Markin, however, rejected the report, explaining that he had not been summoned by his colleagues.

He said he had personally convened the caucus meeting as part of preparations for the resumption of Parliament, describing the meeting as a routine practice ahead of parliamentary sittings.

Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday, August 24, Mr Shaib said the incident raised broader questions about professional standards and accountability in the media.

He expressed concern about perceptions that some media practitioners may be influenced financially, arguing that such perceptions could undermine public confidence in the media.

“When there is also the belief or the perception that people are being paid, it becomes more worrying that people have become demigods. They are becoming untouchable,” he said.

According to Mr Shaib, correcting the disputed report should go beyond simply taking it off the media platform.

He said JoyNews should publicly acknowledge the error and apologise.

“They don’t just need to pull it down. They need to apologise,” he said.