The Member of Parliament for Yendi constituency in the Northern Region, Hon Farouk Aliu Mahama, has demanded an unqualified apology from the Northern Regional correspondent of Citi FM/TV, Mohammed Aminu Alabira and the Northern Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) for falsely accusing him of assaulting the reporter during the conduct of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary primary in the constituency last Saturday, January 27, 2024.
The lawmaker claims he is suffering from emotional and psychological trauma as a result of the false, malicious and reckless statement made against him.
The Yendi MP reportedly attacked Mr. Alabira whilst he was on duty covering the NPP primary at the Yendi SHS campus. He narrated that Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama slapped and kicked him to the floor and his supporters took a cue from his actions and pounced on him before the police rescued him.
The melee occurred when supporters of the NPP violently interrupted the counting process and destroyed ballot papers of the two aspirants in the election.
The GJA on the back of this condemned the Member of Parliament for assaulting the reporter and accordingly called for his arrest for such unacceptable behavior involving a lawmaker who should know better that the country is governed by laws.
But in his defense, Mr. Farouk Aliu Mahama through his Counsel, Sylvester Isang Esq, on Wednesday (January 31, 2024) served a Demand Notice/Notice of Intension to Commence Legal Actions against the news reporter and the GJA.
He is demanding a compensation of GH₵500,000 each as damages for the harm done to his reputation and legal fees in addition to a publication of the apology through the same medium by which he was allegedly defamed.
“You are hereby notified by this letter our intention to take legal action on behalf of our client against you if you fail to fulfill the demands made on you by our client in paragraph 15 above within 7 days inclusive of the day of service of this notice on you.”
The lawyer argues that the false information that suggests he [Farouk Aliu Mahama] is barbaric has lowered the estimation that his wife and children as well as his entire family and that of his wife’s has for him.
“Our client informs us that as a result of the publication of the false and libelous information, his reputation has been lowered drastically among his peers and all those other persons who read the falsehood perpetuated against him by you and your media platforms and as a result right thinking members of society look at him with disdain and as someone who is a barbaric Politician and a criminal” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, Lawyer Sylvester Isang has further cautioned Mr. Mohammed Aminu Alabira and the GJA to desist from ever publishing any similar defamatory information whatsoever and howsoever against the Yendi MP.
He said the lawmaker as a responsible married man, and an astute and distinguished politician who has earned an enviable reputation for himself through hard work and sacrifices.
