By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
The Executive Director at the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Mr. Sulemana Braimah, has emphatically stated that his outfit strongly believes the media and security agencies are not, and should never be, adversaries, and that they are, in fact, essential partners in safeguarding our democracy.
Speaking during the Media-Security Dialogue on Thursday, November 27, 2025, in Accra, Mr. Braimah stressed that, to build a resilient, peaceful, and inclusive society, the media and security institutions must work together, not at cross-purposes.
“I am confident that through open, honest, and constructive dialogue, we can chart a path toward that shared vision,” he added.
Mr. Braimah also recounted media freedom violations, stating that “we have been witnessing an increase in media freedom violations ranging from arbitrary arrests and detentions, to physical attacks, violent disruptions of live programmes, and a growing use of laws on ‘false publication’ sometimes to clamp down on speech.”
According to him, the media informs the public, promotes accountability, and enables meaningful dialogue. Security agencies, on the other hand, protect the nation, uphold law and order, and preserve stability. These mandates are not incompatible; they are complementary.
Present at the dialogue, Component Manager at the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) Ghana, Kweku Obeng, stated that a journalist whose voice is silenced creates room for the diminishing voices of all citizens.
He also added that the warning signs are visible. Ghana’s recent media freedom rankings show a decline from 30th globally in 2021 to 50th.
Director for Freedom of Expression & Digital Rights Programme at MFWA, Dora Boamah, speaking at the dialogue, stressed that from January 2020 to November 2025, 87 violations against expression and media freedom had been recorded in Ghana.
According to her, there have only been seven reparative actions in response to the 87 violations (2020–2025) of freedom of expression and media freedom, representing less than 10 percent. Only three of the 20 direct attacks on journalists by security agencies have been addressed.
Senior Lecturer at the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Ghana (UG), Dr. Gilbert Tietaah, also lent his voice to the dialogue. He stated that when a journalist must choose his poison, and the choice is between blind bravery and losing his life, he is reminded that his role is to tell the story and not be the story, adding that the constitutional rights of both journalists and security agents must remain central to law enforcement.
