Private legal practitioner Samson Lardy Anyenini has expressed discontent over Ghana’s abysmal performance in the latest press freedom index released by Reporters Without Borders.

The host of Newsfile on Joy News, who has been a keen advocate for press freedom, says the country had a better ranking during the military regime than in the current democratic dispensation.

His comment follows the rankings by Reporters Without Borders, in which Ghana’s ranking dropped 30 places to 60th globally, and 10th in Africa.

The report comes on the back of recent news that the Ghanaian government has been clamping down on dissent and claims of a surge in press freedom violations.

The report released to commemorate international Press Freedom Day scored Ghana 67.43, placing Ghana 60th on the index that monitors 180 countries.

This ranking is the lowest the country has ever seen in the past 17 years since it placed 66th in 2005.

Commenting on the development, the lawyer said, “I am already hearing suggestions about methodology [but] the reality is that things have been bad…even a military regime has ranked better than our democracy.”

He further highlighted a number of issues which he believes have contributed to the “negative and embarrassing ranking.”

“Go on social media, many journalists have been bullied into silence because they show up there and make very harmless comments or opinions and they [people] come there and their response is not to attack the issue but to insult to find out which village they come from or if it’s a lady which people she may have slept with an its crazy and we don’t seem to pay attention as much.”

He added, “there must never be a justification to harass the journalist because there are avenues to vent your grievance when a journalist has done something against you.”