President Akufo-Addo applauds media for holding government accountable

Media houses have been highly commended by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for their fortitude and dedication to the principles of holding the government accountable and shedding light on its policies for the benefit of the citizenry.

He singled out the presidential press corps, in particular, for praise, when he spoke highly of them for accurately reporting on the policies and programmes of his government, and in a professional manner.

Media encounter

At a media engagement at the Flagstaff House in Accra yesterday to mark six months of his stewardship, President Akufo-Addo said the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law (CLL) had inspired the Ghanaian media to be one of the freest and most vibrant on the African continent, if not the world.

Having served as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice in the erstwhile Kufuor administration, the President championed the repeal of the CLL under which some journalists were arrested and detained for making libellous and slanderous comments against public officials.

President Akufo-Addo indicated that in spite of the role he played in ensuring the repeal of the CLL, he had suffered some irresponsible journalism against his person “and I refer to those who have created an industry from spewing calumnies, falsehoods and outright fabrications against my person”.

Nevertheless, the President said, “I do not regret my role in the repeal of the old discredited law.”

Noisy media is better

President Akufo-Addo further pointed out that he preferred the noisy, boisterous and scurrilous media of today, to the “monotonous, praise-singing, sycophantic one of yesteryear.”

He told the journalists that he intended to engage them twice a year to apprise them of the progress his government had chalked up in line with democratic principles of accounting to the people.

“I cannot complain about the lack of exposure of my thoughts, statements, or policies since I became President,” he added, contrary to the assertion of former President John Mahama, who had cause to express worry about what he called ‘‘the control of Ghana’s media by a cabal who were blocking his message of transformation’’.

According to the former President, a certain group of people had taken control of the Ghanaian media and were blocking his government’s message, a situation which, in his view, made it difficult for people to appreciate his work.

Writer’s email: sebastian.syme@graphic.com.gh