Felix Kwakye Ofosu, spokesperson for President John Dramani Mahama and Minister of State for Government Communications, has assured journalists that they will not face any reprisals from the Mahama administration, even if they report negatively on the government.
Addressing concerns about the treatment of journalists at a presser in Accra on Wednesday February 19, Ofosu highlighted President Mahama’s history of protecting journalists.
“Unlike under President Akufo-Addo where journalists had to flee the country because agents of the state were pursuing them, President Mahama threw a cordon of protection around journalists.
“Journalists who criticised him had been welcomed to his house, to his office, he has attended their book launches, and extended a hand of courtesy and friendship to them. He has never shown hostility to any journalist at any point in time that he has been in public office or public life,” Kwakye Ofosu stated.
He emphasised that President Mahama offers full assurance to journalists that they will not face reprisals for their reporting.
“Therefore, it is most unfair for this sort of narrative to be woven… But if you are a journalist in Ghana, you have President Mahama’s fullest assurance that merely because you report on his government even in adverse ways, you are not going to face any reprisal,” he affirmed.
Kwakye Ofosu urged journalists to use appropriate channels to seek redress when they are harmed by other members of society and assured them of the government’s support in such matters.
“Please endeavour to use the appropriate channels to seek redress when other members of society harm you in any way. To every extent possible, the government will lend its weight to efforts to seek redress in these matters,” he said.
He also distinguished between the actions of overzealous security officials and orchestrated attacks by the government, stating, “We must distinguish between the actions of overzealous or errant security officials and other members of society and orchestrated attacks on the government to punish, as it were, journalists for exposing wrongdoing.
“The latter is not happening even if the former is extremely worrying, and we are interested in ensuring that all professionals, be it journalists or other professionals, do not suffer for doing their work.”
Read also…
