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The Honourable Deputy Majority Leader of Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, in debating the President's State of the Nation Address, made a stronger case for press freedom and how important it is in our democratic journey.

He was quick to add, however, that those in the media fraternity must be constructive in their work as excesses and irresponsible media reportage can derail the gains made so far as a country.

He stressed that the phenomenon whereby journalists write stories about MPs without contacting them for their side of these stories should not be encouraged.

The Effutu MP said, in particular reference to Ahmed Suale, in which the NDC General Secretary issued a statement that sought to incriminate Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, the Assin Central MP for the death of the young journalist as that could form the window of opportunity for the actual perpetrators to go scot-free.

In his view, when such crimes are politicized and blamed on people, the criminals cannot be found. He said such practices incentivize these criminals to continue plying their trade.

He also touched on political violence and indicated that it is a phenomenon that happens to all irrespective of which party is in power and cited an ordeal he faced in 2012 as an example.

He called for collaboration amongst all political parties to work together to ensure that this becomes a relic of the past.