Accra: Mr Felix Ofosu Kwakye, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, has reaffirmed the President Mahama-led Administration's commitment to dealing ruthlessly with any person(s) who attacks journalists during the course of their work. The Government, he said, took strong exception to activities that tended to endanger the lives of journalists, stressing that it would not condone such attacks on journalists going forward.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Kwakye made these remarks at the swearing-in of the newly elected National Executive of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in Accra. The six-member executive includes Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour as President, Ms Rebecca Ekpe as Vice President, Mr Dominic Hlordzi as General Secretary, Mr Suleiman Mustapha as Organising Secretary, Mrs Bertha Badu-Agyei as National Treasurer, and Mr Zadok Kwame Gyesi as Public Affairs Officer.
Mr Kwakye lauded the media's contribution to Ghana's democracy, emphasizing the importance of a thriving media in a functional democracy. He noted that the media must be uncompromising, principled, and committed to national development.
He reiterated the Government's commitment to creating an enabling environment for journalists to thrive and urged the new leadership to collaborate with the Government in advancing the country's developmental agenda. Mr Kwakye emphasized that the Government values criticism and seeks informed contributions from journalists to enhance national discourse.
Mr Dwumfour, the newly elected President of the GJA, assured that the leadership would deploy various strategies, including legal measures, dialogue, education, and activism, to protect journalists against attacks. He called for cooperation from state and non-state actors to address the issue, emphasizing the resolve to combat such threats.
