President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has debunked claims that there is a return of culture of silence in Ghana under his administration as there is a vibrant media in the country.
“I find it ironic that the Presidency of a man who has been and continues to be the most vilified political figure of his generation can be accused of presiding over a ‘culture of silence’.
“There is no midnight knock on the door in Ghana for authors of dissenting views, nor will there be during my presidency”, President Akufo-Addo reiterated.
Twitter recently described Ghana as “a supporter of free speech, online freedom, and the Open Internet”, and cited these as some of the reasons for setting up its shop in Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo noted that because of the country’s attachment to a culture and practice of free media; and many other qualities possessed by Ghana also influenced the decision by the Federation of African Journalists to announce the holding of its annual conference in Ghana.
In a speech to Rotarians in Accra titled ‘Down the up escalator – Reflections on Ghana’s future by a senior citizen’, Dr Sam Jonah, the executive chairman of Jonah Capital, an equity fund based in Johannesburg, South Africa, said “It appears to me that the culture of silence has returned. This time, not enforced by legal and military power but through convenience, parochialism, hypocrisy and lack of conviction”.
Response
However, speaking at the University of Cape Coast, on Saturday, at a ceremony held to confer an honorary doctorate degree on him, President Akufo-Addo noted that he has, all his life, been a firm believer in constitutional government.
This, he explained, has been based on freedom of association, freedom of speech, freedom of the media, the separation of powers with an independent Judiciary, the rule of law, a strong and dynamic Parliament, and a private sector that unleashes the energies of the people to prosper.
“I belong to the Danquah-Dombo-Busia political tradition, one whose forebears, at great personal sacrifice, fought for the democratic, open, free system of government we are enjoying today in Ghana. They propagated the concept of democracy at a time when it was not, in Africa, a fashionable concept.
“Indeed, the philosophy of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) coincides with that of the Fourth Republican Constitution. It is the dominant political philosophy in the world today, and has stood the test of time.
“The Criminal Libel Law, which had been part of our legal architecture for decades, did not just suddenly disappear from our laws. I have been a part and, sometimes, led the struggle for individual rights and freedom of the press in this country. I believe in it. It is part of my makeup, and, when it comes to the freedom of the press, I am certain I have nothing to apologise for with reference to anything I have ever done or said,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo pointed out that, from the beginning of his term in office, he has tried to strengthen the institutions of state that would give meaning to the protection of the freedoms of Ghanaians.
“More infrastructural development funds have been allocated to the Judiciary in the past four years than we have ever seen, and it has gone along with human resource development. Budgetary allocations to the Police Service, CHRAJ, NCCE, and Parliament have all been increased significantly and deliberately to boost up the capacities of these institutions.
“The Right to Information Act has been passed under my Presidency, and is now in operation, despite successive governments shying away from it. That is how rights and freedoms are protected”, President Akufo-Addo added.
Nothing will change
The President maintained that, since becoming President, there is nothing he has seen or experienced in the office that would make him change his long-held views on the importance of fundamental human rights.
“I need no lessons in the importance of a vigorous media in building a healthy democracy. I have said so and I will say it again that I would much rather we had a reckless press, than a supine one,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo also observed that the atmosphere in Ghana, under his presidency, is one of spirited conversation and debate among politicians, the business community, civil society organizations and ordinary citizens – through print, radio, television, or in particular, social media, whether they are home or abroad.
Nonetheless, he stated that it is in the interest of the State, in the interest of the people of Ghana, and in the interest of Government, that journalists are and feel able to go about their work in safety.
Giving more assurance, President Akufo-Addo said, “I will continue to do all I can to make this the reality of Ghana”.
So-called culture of silence
President Akufo-Addo noted that there’s a new line of reasoning which suggests that “when people in government and/or government policies are criticised, and there is a defence of the people or policies, it is intimidatory, and leads to a “culture of silence”.
“A radio station is currently running a campaign against Free SHS. During the last election, I got the clear impression Free SHS had been endorsed by all political parties, and all we needed to do was to keep improving it. Would a spirited defence of the Free SHS policy constitute an attack on press freedom? I wonder.
“It cannot be that everyone has a right of reply except members of the government and officialdom. Nor can it be that challenging an opinion expressed by a journalist constitutes an attack on press freedom”, President Akufo-Addo pointed out.
With the Chancellor of UCC, Dr Sam Jonah sitting just a few steps by him, the President said, “I have worked with civil society organisations and used their platforms to engage in famous arguments, healthy debates and I am not averse to the occasional controversy that is a necessary part of public life.
“I have said so and I will say it again that I will much rather that we had a reckless press than a sparing one.
“I daresay that the atmosphere in our country is one of spirited conversation and debate among politicians, the business community, civil society organisations, and ordinary citizens through print, radio, television or in particular, social media, whether they are home or abroad.
“Indeed, I daresay that the means to get your voice heard has never been so democratised as now and long may it last”.
