Opinion: Stop the attacks on press freedom; Akufo-Addo
“Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy” – Walter Cronkite
The aim of the press is to inform us on the happenings around us, whether it is good news or bad news. The press should therefore be seen to be propagating the “Ghana agenda” and not the “NPP agenda” or the agenda of any political party in power at any point in time.
It is for this reason that the press should be allowed to do their work unhindered and devoid of harassment and interference. Unfortunately, a large section of the press under the Akufo-Addo and Mahamudu Bawumia-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration does not enjoy a cordial working relationship with the ruling NPP government.
Many media houses and journalists nowadays appear to have been “bought” and tend to act as mouthpieces of the ruling NPP, propagating the “Akufo-Addo and Mahamudu Bawumia NPP agenda”.
They appear to be misinforming the public on happenings around us and also tend to do damage control whenever the truth eventually comes out. The constant unprovoked personality attacks on the works of a few resilient journalists and media houses that are critical of government seem to interfere with the kind of information being propagated to the public.
The government resorts to using the police to arrest and sometimes harass journalists. The offices of some journalists and media houses such as that of Kwesi Pratt, Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper, was recently broken into and raided in a Rambo style. Sadly many journalists who have been victims of such attacks are yet to receive any form of justice.
The level of intolerance and acts of intimidation by Nana Akufo-Addo and his “henchmen” seem to be worse than what was previously envisaged. From the mass closure of radio stations to the harassment of journalists perceived to be critics of the ruling NPP, the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia-led NPP government seems to be working hard to stifle press freedom in the country.
These constant attacks on press freedom including the recent attack and harassment by the Police on the Editor of WhatsApp News who also doubles as the Vice President of the Private News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), Mr David Tamakloe, suggest that the government does not want to tone down on its attempts to stifle press freedom and cower journalists into submission. Some journalists who have also suffered at the hands of this NPP government include Manasseh Azuri and the late Ahmed Suale.
Previously the mode of attacks on journalists and media houses appeared to be direct and physical but things took a different turn in a press conference organized by the NPP on 15th of October 2020.
The speaker at the press conference, Dr Mustapha Hamid, Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development, who obviously had the blessings of Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr Bawumia, went ahead to unequivocally label and classify news portals which published stories critical of the Akufo-Addo led-NPP administration as portals that peddled fake news. This is a dangerous move by government and must be condemned by all who have press freedom at heart.
The implications of this unwarranted move by government to classify some media portals as purveyors of fake news may be a new strategy by government to indirectly unleash the Police and pro-NPP vigilante groups to attack journalists affiliated to these portals and media houses, thus exposing them to physical harassment by Police and NPP vigilante groups.
“Freedom of speech and of the press are essential to the enlightenment of a free people and in restraining those who wield power” – Felix Frankfurter
- E Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, please allow citizens to freely express their opinions without fear. Allow the press to critique your government and expose the rot in your administration.
Should you have issues with particular stories published, instead of attacking the whole news agency, attack the story by putting across government’s position in a rejoinder or even petition the National Media Commission to investigate your complaint.
Written by: Efo Edem
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