A group of student journalists, Student Journalists for Truth are on the heels of former President Mahama over his comments that Ghana was ranked number country with a free press during his time as President.
The former President made the claim last week when he released a video on world press freedom day and also added that Ghana has from the first position in the past three years since the NPP government took over.
In the video, Mahama said: “during my tenure as President of Ghana, we became the country with the highest levels of press freedom in Africa. At the time, we were ranked number one out of 54 countries in Africa. We also placed 28 in the global ranking among 180 countries. Three and half years later, we have slumped seven places on the global ranking, and lost the number slot in Africa to Namibia, and Cape Verde.”
But the former President’s claim has been proven to be completely false by media fact checkers and the young students are asking him to apologise for what they describe as repulsive.
“The Students Journalists For Truth (SJFT) has noted with repulsion, an unfortunate falsehood peddled by former President of our country, John Dramani Mahama, on no other day than World Press Freedom Day,” the group said in a press release.
“What is even more repulsive is the fact that the former President chose a day meant to celebrate press freedom to peddle such falsehood for his parochial, political considerations,” they stated in their release.
The group, after condemning the behaviour of the former President, are now asking him to apologise to set a clean record.
“It is rather unfortunate that on a day meant to celebrate the press and highlight one of its most important elements, former President Mahama chose to desecrate the day by using the press to peddle falsehood.”
“We cannot fathom what could have motivated the former President to confidently peddle such a lie when incontrovertible records clearly show that Ghana was never ranked number in Africa as far as press freedom is concerned during his time as President.”
“As young student journalists, we are encouraged by the bold step by a section of the media to point out the unfortunte misrepresentation by the former President through fact-checking.”
“We wish to call on the former President to apologise for the unfortunate untruths he peddled to set the records straight.”
The group added that President Mahama’s failure to apologise would mean that his false claim, which was widely publicised, would become a misleading source of reference for future generations.
“These lies, if left uncorrected, would become a misleading reference point for younger generations because it was peddled by a former President.”
Below is the full statement:
Press Release
MAHAMA MUST APOLOGISE FOR PEDDLING FALSEHOOD TO TH PRESS ON WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY
The Students Journalists For Truth (SJFT) has noted with repulsion, an unfortunate falsehood peddled by former President of our country, John Dramani Mahama, on no other day than World Press Freedom Day.
In a video mesaage on Sunday May 3 to mark World Press Freedom Day, former President Mahama said:
“During my tenure as President of Ghana, we became the country with the highest levels of press freedom in Africa. At the time, we were ranked number one out of 54 countries in Africa. We also placed 28 in the global ranking among 180 countries. Three and half years later, we have slumped seven places on the global ranking, and lost the number slot in Africa to Namibia, and Cape Verde.”
The above categorical statement by former President Mahama is a complete lie and as young students of journalism and communication, we find it completely unacceptable that the highest-ranking former official of our country would conveniently peddle such gaping falsehood.
What is even more repulsive is the fact that the former President chose a day meant to celebrate press freedom to peddle such falsehood for his parochial, political considerations.
The World Press Freedom Day is a day specially set aside to celebrate the sanctity of the press, which includes independence, accountability, objectivity and most importantly truth.
It is rather unfortunate that on a day meant to celebrate the press and highlight one of its most important elements, former President Mahama chose to desecrate the day by using the press to peddle falsehood.
We cannot fathom what could have motivated the former President to confidently peddle such a lie when incontrovertible records clearly show that Ghana was never ranked number in Africa as far as press freedom is concerned during his time as President.
As young student journalists, we are encouraged by the bold step by a section of the media to point out the unfortunte misrepresentation by the former President through fact-checking.
The West Africa Media Foundation has also come out to state that what former President Mahama stated was untrue.
“We wish to call on the former President to apologise for the unfortunate untruths he peddled to set the records straight. These lies, if left uncorrected, would become a misleading reference point for younger generations because it was peddled by a former President.”
Below is the full press release:
Upholding press freedom is also about speaking truth to the public, especially by high-ranking public officials as the former President.
Indeed facts are sacred!
SIGNED:
SALIM ZIBLIM
(PRESIDENT)
Source: BestNewsGH.com
