President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said that it can not be right no matter where in the world, that journalists are physically attacked or prevented from doing their work.
He said this in an address at the African Journalists Leaders’ Conference organized by the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), Tuesday June 1.
The theme of the event was “Building Stronger Unions to Enhance Journalism and Media Freedom”.
President Akufo-Addo said as President of the Republic, he will continue to ensure the safeguarding of the freedoms of journalists as they go about their work.
“I maintain that I prefer a boisterous, even reckless media to a sparing one,” President Akufo-Addo said.
“As President of the Republic, I have seen to the passage of the right to information Act, which is meant to give effect to Article 21 (1) f of the Constitution of the Republic, which states “All persons shall have the right to information subject to self qualifications and laws as a necessary in a democratic society”. Several preceeding administrations have shied away from taking such a step” President Akufo-Addo added.
President Akufo-Addo noted that “the culmination of all these have meant that the Ghana citizen through the presence of a dynamic media is able to give boldly and freely his or her feedback on policies and programmes of government. Civil society groups are able to interrogate fearlessly government actions and positions, compare them to best global practices and offer views and critiques in complimenting efforts of government and the political opposition is able to raise decent openly, canvas for alternative view points and by so doing, offer our citizens alternatives to consider on all key issues of our national discourse”.
“On a day like this, it is also important to consider some of the emerging challenges to media freedom. One of them is what constitutes an attack on media freedom. It can not be right no matter where in the world, that journalists are physically attacked or prevented from doing their work. Once that happens, it is an attack on media freedom and it must be roundly condemned by all.”
