By Jones Anlimah
The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, has cautioned the media to be responsible in their reporting on security and social issues in the region. The caution comes as the committee tasked to investigate recent violent clashes in Sokode, near Ho, presented its final report to the Minister. The incident, which involved students of Sokode Senior High Technical School and members of the community, drew wide media attention and public concern.
“The media is also going to get access to this, so that they can speak to the issues appropriately and not mislead the public or incite the public against the Regional Coordinating Council,” Mr. Gunu stated.
He raised concerns about unverified claims making the rounds in the media, including a demand for compensation by the owner of a pub allegedly affected during the riot. “When a report has not even been submitted to me with the recommendations, then somebody is somewhere demanding compensation. Compensation for what? Who caused the damage? The investigation should be able to tell us,” he stressed.
The Minister warned that no compensation would be considered until the facts are established. “For all you know, the damage was not caused by the students. So, should I just go about paying compensation?” he questioned.
Mr. Gunu assured that the Regional Coordinating Council would act appropriately after reviewing the full report and its recommendations. “Now that the report is out—the final report—we will look at the report, the recommendations that have been given, and then we will take the appropriate action,” he noted.
He urged the media to avoid fueling tension with speculative reporting, especially on sensitive security matters. “It is not good for the media to be inciting the public and allowing people to say things that are not true—things that are supposed to be investigated, then they will be going ahead of the investigation and saying all kinds of things,” he added.
The final report is expected to guide the region’s response to the Sokode incident and strengthen efforts toward maintaining public order and student-community relations across the Volta Region.
