President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has dismissed claims that the government is attempting to persuade Ghana’s media to be more circumspect in their criticism of his administration.
Such allegations, according to President Akufo-Addo, are baseless.
The government’s backing for the Ghana Journalists Association, which included the awarding of a vehicle to the recent winner of the GJA Journalist of the Year award, has raised eyebrows, with some doubting the motivation.
During a meeting with the President, the Association’s executives are reported to have requested that the government support the award system and other projects.
Some opponents, however, believe that the government has no business intervening in how journalists are compensated for their job since it has a propensity to compromise them.
This comes at a time when Nana Addo’s administration has been heavily chastised for how it has handled the media and how it has protected their liberties.
President Akufo-Addo, however, warned the government cannot compromise the media at a meeting with the leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association.
He claims that he prefers a newspaper that supports the country’s democracy rather than one that serves the interests of governments.
As a result, he said that he is not interested in purchasing the Ghanaian press and would rather see to it that it fulfills its constitutional duty.
“I don’t look upon the intercourse as government buying the press. I don’t want to believe that the Ghanaian press is buyable, neither am I interested in buying the Ghanaian press.”
“I’m interested in having a press that can serve the larger purposes of our society and play its role in building a strong durable democracy in Ghana. That for me is the most important aspect of the work of the press in Ghana.”
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, has previously dismissed claims that the nation is becoming a culture of silence.
Such views, he claims, only arise from those who can’t take criticism.
This was said by the Minister at a meeting with journalists in the North East Region on May 5, 2021, as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen freedom of expression and access to information in the country.
“This notion that this nation has a culture of silence cannot be accurate. There are about 500 radio stations, approximately 100 television stations, and millions of social media profiles in our nation, and everyone is free to express themselves. Some individuals can’t take it when they voice their opinions and others respond by saying they disagree, and they accuse you of silencing them. Respectfully, that is the beauty of our democracy: I will have my say, and you are free to disagree,” Kojo Oppong Nkrumah remarked.
source: ATLFMNEWSROOM
