The Member of Parliament for Builsa South has described as shameful Ghana’s recent drop in the latest World Press Freedom ranking.
The MP says it is not only embarrassing but a disgrace to the country.
To him, the rating has exposed the long held view that the current president and his administration are intolerant.
Ghana has dropped 30 places on the 2022 World Press Freedom index.
The country placed 60 in the 2022 index put together by campaign group, Reporters Without Borders.
This is Ghana’s lowest-ever ranking in 17 years after it ranked 66th and 67th in 2005 and 2022 respectively.
The ranking captured 180 countries assessed with Ghana.
Per the ranking, Ghana dropped in its indicative points from 78.67 percent to 67.43 compared to last year.
The report stated that although the country is considered a regional leader in democratic stability, journalists have experienced growing pressures in recent years.
It further stated that the safety of Ghanaian journalists has deteriorated sharply in recent years.
“To protect their jobs and their security, they increasingly resort to self-censorship, as the government shows itself intolerant of criticism”, the report mentioned.
It mentioned that in 2020, reporters covering the effectiveness of anti-COVID-19 measures were attacked by security forces.
The report also highlighted the issue of journalists receiving death threats by politicians.
“Nearly all cases of law enforcement officers attacking journalists are not pursued”, it said.
Reacting to the report, the lawmaker posited that the report has exposed the true attributes of the president and his government.
He said the President was packaged as a human rights lawyer but has turned out to be an abuser and one against the rights of the press.
“Ghana records another embarrassing and dubious record under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government.
It’s a shame that media freedom is suffering under the Presidency of a man whose apologists credit him with repealing the criminal liable law.
Indeed, if you want to know the true character of a man give him power. They packaged him as a human rights lawyer, a man who fought for media freedom, and an incorruptible man.
Well, time and power have conspired to reveal his true attributes and nature, the exact opposite of what we were told!”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
