Minister of State for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has dismissed claims by Ghana Journalists Association President Albert Kwabena Dwumfour that seven journalists have been assaulted since President Mahama assumed office.
At a press conference on Tuesday, February 18, Mr. Dwumfour criticized the administration for what he described as a rising number of attacks on journalists within the first 50 days of Mahama’s presidency.
But addressing the Press at the Presidency on Wednesday, February 19, Kwakye Ofosu called the claims misleading, emphasizing that no journalist in Ghana has been attacked for criticizing the president.
He explained that Dwumfour’s remarks were unclear and incorrectly suggested that the assaults were politically motivated but the incidents occurred while journalists were simply performing their duties.
“It is a most regrettable narrative. We do not think it is fair to President Mahama, is it fair to gov’t and even fair to the GJA or even to the journalists who were reported to have been attacked. Subsequent to the press conference, I have engaged with the president of the GJA in my capacity as the Minister responsible for Gov’t Communications. I sought to find out hat informed the press conference and why other alternative approaches were not adopted to discuss the matters, and seek redress for those affected. After the conversation we’ve agreed to meet early next week,” he said in a press conference.
Kwakye Ofosu noted that some of these attacks, including those during the recent Council of State elections, are matters for the police and are not linked to President Mahama’s administration. He reiterated that safeguarding the rights and freedoms of journalists is a top priority for Mahama, and that the government is committed to protecting them.
“For instance illegal miners in the 1st place are breaking the law so if in an attempt to report their activities some of them attack a journalist, I don’t think you can lay the blame at the doorsteps of President Mahama or the gov’t. These matters can be ironed out but if you’re a journalist in Ghana, you have President Mahama’s fullest assurance that merely because you report on his govt, even in adverse ways you’re not going to face any reprisals,” he added.
He confirmed that government officials and executives from the Ghana Journalists Association will meet next week to further discuss the issue, urging the public to reject the claim that seven journalists were assaulted linking it to Mahama’s administration.
Watch video:
The government has called out the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) for not using the right channels to address concerns over assaults on journalists. Officials say they will meet with the GJA next week to discuss the issue.#ChannelOneNews #CitiVerify pic.twitter.com/UAxjlPAOYG
— ChannelOne TV (@Channel1TVGHA) February 19, 2025
