Late John Kumah ‘Poison’ Claims: ‘Journalists Have Now Become Pathologists And Prophets…We’ve Lost Our Ethics’ – Sefa Kayi Blasts Fellow Journalists

Ace broadcaster and host of Ghana’s leading morning show “Kokrokoo” aired on Peace FM, Kwami Sefa Kayi has cautioned journalists against peddling speculations about the death of the Deputy Finance Minister, John Kumah.

John Kumah passed away last Thursday on his way to the hospital.

The late Deputy Minister was survived by a wife and six children.

Following news of departure of the Deputy Minister, there have been rumors about the cause of his death.

The late John Kumah is said to have died of food poisoning, an information sourced from Onua TV’s morning show Presenter, Blessed Godsbrain Smart, popularly called Captain Smart.

Captain Smart claimed the Deputy Minister was poisoned to prevent him from rising to the top hierarchy of the governing New Patriotic Party.

Commenting on the issue and without pointing fingers at a specific person, Kwami Sefa Kayi condemned the journalistic practice where media practitioners make claims without evidence, particularly about sensitive issues regarding the death of a person.

He wondered if those making the food poisoning claims have thought about the negative impact their comments would have on the bereaved family, basically the widow and her children.

“Journalists have now turned into pathologists and Prophets…We’ve lost ethics as human beings. Someone is dead and in no time, people are on radio and TV discussing the cause of his death. His wife has filed a complaint. If right now, you who claim to know he was poisoned is asked to provide evidence, where are you going to get the evidence?”, Mr. Sefa Kayi admonished.

Meanwhile, the widow has sued Captain Smart to substantiate his claims in the court of law.

“Why is it that someone (referring to Captain Smart) has been this bold to claim that he knows for a fact that a person like John Kumah who has served his country virtually all his life, was poisoned, while he was working for his country and party (New Patriotic Party, NPP), why should we sit down and not bring that person to book.

“If it is true that a person who is not dead but alive claims that he knows how my husband (John Kumah) died and that he was poisoned, and that person is still moving around for the past three weeks, it hurts me, it saddens me and I do not know how best to express my frustrations about these false claims by Captain Smart”, the widow lamented in an interview on Asaase radio.

She added; “If there are laws in this country concerning such false claims, I think this is the time for the leadership of the land to bring that wicked person (Captain Smart) to book to prove his false claims and to point out the persons who were involved in the poisoning of my late husband.” 

Sefa Kayi, on his show on Monday, March 11, charged the National Media Commission and other authorities to crack the whip.

“This is why I am saying the National Media Commission, GJA, Media Foundation for West Africa, as for this, I plead with you to say something because we are the journalists doing the work and we should be able to look at ourselves and say these are low, low dirty standards.”