A research by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has shown that Ghana is the leading violator of press freedom in West Africa, with the security services as the main perpetrator.
Speaking during a training workshop for journalists on their safety during the coverage of this year’s elections, Board Member of the Foundation, Prof. Kwame Karikari said : “Ghana has led in the number of violations of media rights and the majority of cases show that security personnel are the perpetrators of this attack on journalists rights.”
“It is the security who must protect all citizens including the media and if they are a source of threat to the safety of journalists then really that is a big problem because the media must work with the Police particularly in this period of elections to ensure peace, to ensure the fairness of the process and to ensure that the elections come out successfully. From January to June, Ghana was second after Nigeria as the highest violater of press freedom rights. From July to September, Ghana was first recording seven out of 25 incidents of violations in all 60 countries.”
In May 2015, Ghana was ranked the 22nd country on the World Press Freedom Index.
According to the 2015 World Press Freedom Index ranking, compiled by Paris-based ‘Reporters Without Borders,’ Ghana ranked 22nd out of 180 countries.
In 2014, the media charged government to take immediate steps to prevent Ghana from losing its status as a nation that upholds freedom of speech and a free press.
The Foundation said the country is rapidly slipping from being a “glorious free press country.”
The call came after an assault on a Daily Graphic journalist by the brother of the Black Stars’ captain, Asamoah Gyan.
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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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