By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
President John Dramani Mahama has called for a change in attitude among some security personnel, noting that journalists and security officers play complementary roles in society.
“We need a reorientation of many of our security personnel to understand that just as they are doing their job of providing peace and safety, journalists are also doing their job of informing the people as to what is happening.
They’re not antagonistic to each other. Indeed, they’re both serving the same public,” he explained.
According to him, violence against journalists has no place in a democratic society.
Reacting to a question posed to him, during his official working visit to the nation’s broadcaster, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), on Wednesday, January, 8, 2026 as to his stands on attacks on journalists particularly the recent attack on a journalist with Class FM at Kasoa in the Central region by some personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GFS), President Mahama was quick to condemned the attack.
He revealed that the GFS personnel who assaulted the journalist with Class FM have been identified and interdicted, as investigations into the incident continue.
“I’m a journalist by training, and so there’s no way we can countenance the continued assault on journalists,” said.
He disclosed that the government has been engaging the Ghana Journalists Association and security agencies to address the matter and prevent future incidents.
“We’ve been in touch with the Ghana Journalists Association on these issues. We’ve put them in touch with the security services.”
The President acknowledged that such incidents may occasionally occur but insisted they must be handled decisively. “When they come, they must be dealt with as firmly as possible,” President Mahama cautioned.
According to him, the Minister of Government Communications, Mr. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, is already handling the issue, and confirmed disciplinary action has been taken.
“The officers have been identified. They’ve been interdicted, and an investigation is ongoing. But we won’t countenance assault on journalists”, he stated.
