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Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafo, the chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), has stated that the freedom of the media in Ghana is not in any way under siege.

Reacting to the 2022 Press Freedom Index which saw Ghana drop 30 places from 30th in 2021 to 60th in 2022 – the lowest in 17 years after Ghana had placed 66th in 2005, Boadu-Ayeboafo said the development is worrying.

Speaking on Asaase Radio Saturday (7 May), Boadu-Ayeboafo said, “definitely every rational person will be concerned. For whatever it is, if it had been two or three [points] down, you’ll take it as something that is normal.”

“But 30 points down which is a 100% drop definitely arouses concern. But it also offers a sober moment for critical analyses to establish what are the fundamentals that are not working and how did we fly as far as this point?” he said.

He added, “I don’t hold that belief that press freedom is under siege. That is not to suggest that there have not been some developments that undermine free expression in terms of overzealous security personnel, intolerant individual Ghanaians and there are also irresponsible journalists. So all these put together create that atmosphere.”

Meanwhile, Sulemana Braimah, the executive director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has said the Ghanaian media is under siege following the recent arrest of some personalities including media practitioners for false publication.

At least three individuals including the executive director of ASEPA Mensah Thompson and governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Bono regional chairman Kwame Baffoe (popularly known as Abronye DC), are currently being tried in court over statements they made in the media that the police say amount to false publications.

Speaking to Kofi Abotsi on Townhall Talk, Braimah said: “So, if a journalist feels that, ‘what is happening makes me unsafe and I am likely to be picked or to be arrested or to be beaten or bullied,’ then it leads to self-censorship and of course even if the person does not self-censor, he may or she may put out what he may put out there with fear.”