Special aide to former President John Mahama, Joyce Bawa Mogtari has observed that it is important that the democratic credentials of the country are protected at all cost.
She expressed worry over the country’s drop in the latest press freedom index and indicated that the government’s efforts to prevent press freedom was a challenge but must be condemned.
“The nation’s ranking in the latest press freedom index has actually suffered and I think it is imperative we actually protect the democratic credentials, it is important that we ensure adequate press freedom, any government that seeks to clamp down on anything to do with media freedoms actually presents a challenge,” Ms Mogtari stressed.
She rubbished the claim that the media houses were shut down due to debt owed saying, “Press freedom has nothing to do with money and no amount of money can ensure press freedom, only the state can allow the press to operate within a free, transparent and fair media landscape irrespective of what licences are out or what you need to pay and not pay.”
Ms Mogtari also accused the government of pushing to ensure that only media houses that sings its praises existed and indicated that “there is a partial political motivation in the shutting down of the radio stations and also because there is a need for control and always because the government wants to have voices that sing its praises and is very averse to criticism”. –kasapafmonline.com
