President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned journalists against what he describes as the deliberate pursuit of non-existent scandals, insisting that such an approach risks distracting the media from issues central to national development.
While acknowledging the media’s constitutional responsibility to scrutinize government and hold public officials accountable, the President urged journalists to exercise sound judgment and ensure that their investigations are grounded in credible evidence.
“This government that I lead will uphold the media mandate to hold government to account. But it distracts attention from the people’s business when we split hairs in a deliberate search for scandals where none exist,” he said.
The President made the remarks at the 30th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Media Awards held in Accra on Saturday, November 7, amid growing public debate over government expenditure and the financial operations of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).
Mahama, who described himself as a trained journalist, expressed concern about what he considers an increasingly confrontational approach to journalism, particularly when reporters publicly challenge government officials to defend alleged inconsistencies.
He argued that while rigorous questioning is an essential part of the profession, journalists must recognize the distinction between legitimate investigative reporting and conduct that appears deliberately adversarial.
“We must also draw the line where journalism becomes adversarial. As a trained journalist myself, I believe that it pushes the limits of media zealotry when a journalist publicly challenges a minister to call into his show to expose him over a so-called discrepancy that the journalist has discovered,” he stated.
His comments come against the backdrop of questions raised by the Minority in Parliament over the GH¢49.7 million reportedly spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks.
The opposition has questioned the transparency of payments involving the GH¢5,000 reintegration grant and GH¢500 transportation allowance reportedly earmarked for each returnee. It has called for an independent audit to establish whether the funds were properly accounted for and disbursed.
Despite his criticism of what he considers excessive media confrontation, Mahama maintained that his administration would respect press freedom and protect journalists’ role in demanding answers from those entrusted with public office.
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