Rawlings calls media to order, chides the Kufuor administration

Former President Jerry Rawlings has said it is about time the media recognised the need to discharge its duties without fear or favour since compromising the truth could have dire consequences for the people.

Mr. Rawlings says many journalists have compromised ethics for selfish monetary considerations much against the tenets of the journalism profession.

In a critique of the media across the world at the International Catholic Union of the Press in Burkina Faso, the former president alleged that a Ghanaian journalist was being paid 10,000 dollars a month to do the dirty work of a corrupt government. He however did not name the journalist and the regime.

“We can only institute good governance if some members of the media do not become pawns of governments and other selfish business and political groups – a disease that is not unique only to Africa but across the world.”

“The French Revolution, the Protestant Revolution, the 31st December Revolution in my country Ghana all came about as a result of the suppression of the truth and the attempt to hide facts which are obvious to the people,” he stated.

The former president also accused the Kufuor administration of deepening poverty in Ghana because of its corrupt nature.

“You come to my country, the last government in power, taking over all the lands belonging to the traditional chiefs and the government and built huge mansions all over the place… the landscape is looking beautiful with all these modern structures but at the same time you can’t believe the extent to which it has impoverished people.”

Former President Rawlings also had some harsh words for his party’s government, saying “there is growing indiscipline and animosity on the ground and now we are in office, considering the effort the people made to remove them – we can’t even give them justice.”

Play the attached audio for excerpts of the Rawlings’ comments

Source: Joy News/Ghana