President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to safeguarding press freedom, insisting that he will never condone attacks on journalists under any circumstances.
Speaking at a Presidential Media Encounter at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, Mr. Mahama strongly condemned the growing incidents of harassment of media practitioners, particularly at the hands of security personnel during public events.
“I’ve condemned assaults on journalists in any form. Journalists are doing their job, and their job is to bring news to the doorsteps of our people—to inform, educate, and entertain them,” he said.
The President expressed concern that some security officers appear to have developed what he described as a “passion” for harassing journalists. He stressed that this culture must be eradicated through a mix of education, sanctions, and collaboration between the security services and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).
“It’s a matter of sanctioning people who assault journalists. I’ve been speaking with the President of the GJA, and we’re going to bring them together with the security agencies so they can carry out awareness among their personnel. If you see a journalist at an event, he is also doing a job, just like the security officer is doing his job. You don’t have the right to assault or manhandle them,” Mr. Mahama emphasized.
He assured that his government will continue to work closely with media stakeholders to guarantee a safe and supportive environment for journalists.
“As a lifetime member of the GJA, there’s no way I’ll condone the assault of journalists in any form,” the President added.
