Press Freedom: Mahama lied about ranking under NDC - MFWA

The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah has described claims by former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama on Ghana’s Press Freedom ranking as false.

President John Dramani Mahama during his speech to the people of Ghana and the Press as the World celebrated World Press Freedom Day on May, 3 said, Ghana ranked first in Africa during his tenure.

He said, “According to Reporters Without Borders, during my Presidency, Ghana became the country with the highest levels of press freedom in Africa. At the time, we were ranked number one out of 54 countries in Africa. We placed 23rd on the global ranking among 180 countries.

Three and half years later, we have slumped seven places on the global ranking and lost the number one spot in Africa to Namibia and Cape Verde. We have unfortunately lost this priceless status that made all of us very proud.

This should worry us- not only journalists and media owners but all of us, as citizens and as Ghanaians. As I said, when the freedom of the press is curtailed, democracy suffers. And all the other human rights that anchor our dignity as human beings are eroded. Without freedom, our dignity is trampled. This is why we need a free press as much as we need fresh air to breathe. So, let us all protect the freedom of the press.”

But reacting to the claim, Sulemana Braimah who is the Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), said the former President was give false information and therefore was misled on the issues he was addressing with regards to the ranking.

He said in a post on Facebook that “President Mahama was given wrong Apor on Ghana’s Press Freedom Rankings. His claims were false“.

Read below his Facebook post.