President John Dramani Mahama has strongly condemned assaults on journalists, describing such actions as unacceptable and calling for the reorientation of security agencies to foster mutual respect between law enforcement officers and media practitioners.
The President made the remarks on Thursday during a live appearance on the GTV Breakfast Show, as part of a media tour of state-owned media organisations aimed at strengthening government-media relations.
His comments followed a recent incident in which a journalist was allegedly assaulted by personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service.
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“I’m a journalist by training, and so there’s no way we’ll countenance this. We need a reorientation of our security personnel to understand that just as they are doing their job of providing safety, journalists are also doing their job of informing people,” President Mahama said.
President Mahama disclosed that steps had already been taken to address the incident, noting that the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) had been engaged and linked with the relevant security agencies.
“We’ve been in touch with the GJA, and we’ve put them in touch with the security services. We are working on it,” he stated.
While acknowledging that such incidents occur occasionally, the President stressed that they must never be overlooked.
“Occasionally these things happen, but when they do, it must be dealt with,” he added, underscoring the need for accountability and cooperation.
As part of the tour, President Mahama visited the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), where he interacted with management and staff, discussing the critical role of state media in public education, national cohesion and democratic governance.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening public media institutions and safeguarding press freedom.
The President later visited Graphic Communications Group Limited, where he engaged editors and staff of the newspaper house. During the visit, he was presented with a framed copy of a Graphic front page in recognition of his visit and long-standing relationship with the media.
President Mahama was accompanied by the Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, and other government officials. The delegation used the occasion to exchange views with media practitioners on professionalism, safety and the evolving challenges within Ghana’s media landscape.
The media tour forms part of broader efforts by the presidency to directly engage journalists and media institutions, while reinforcing the importance of a free, safe and responsible press to Ghana’s democratic development.