Press Freedom Ranking: Even Burkina Faso under Military rule is ahead of Ghana - Sulemana Braimah

Braimah bemoans Ghana's press freedom performance

Ghana has fallen by 30 places in the latest World Press Freedom Index, Braimah

Akufo-Addo's govt will go down as the worst in terms of press freedom if nothing changes, Braimah

The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, has bemoaned Ghana's press freedom ranking in the recent past.

Braimah indicated that recent activities in the media space in Ghana have led to the country falling by 30 places in the latest World Press Freedom Index, as well as the country losing its leading position in press freedom in Africa.

He added that what is most worrying is that countries in the West African sub-region under military dictatorships are even doing better than Ghana in terms of press freedom.

"The verdict is out. Ghana drops record 30 places in 2022 World Press Freedom Index. From 30th to 60th in the world and from 3rd to the 9th in Africa. Even Burkina Faso under Military rule is ahead of Ghana at 41st in the world and 5th in Africa," a tweet shared by Braimah on May 3, 2022, read.

The MFWA Executive Director further stated that Ghana's performance on the 2022 Press Freedom Index is the worst in the last 17 years and represents a 100 per cent drop in the press freedom ranking.

"Talking about the political conditions under which journalists in Ghana work, the report said: "To protect their jobs and their security, they increasingly resort to self-censorship, as the government shows itself intolerant of criticism"," another tweet by Braimah read.

Braimah had previously stated that the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government would go down as the worse in the 4th Republic of Ghana in terms of press freedom if the current trend of attacks on journalists in the country does not change.

He cited the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale in 2019, which has still not been resolved, and the criminalisation of speech which has led to recent arrests of some media personalities, as setbacks in the fight for free and credible media.

Read the tweets by Braimah below:

The verdict is out. Ghana drops record 30 places in 2022 World Press Freedom Index. From 30th to 60th in the world and from 3rd to the 9th in Africa. Even Burkina Faso under Military rule is ahead of Ghana at 41st in the World and 5th in Africa.

— Sulemana Braimah (@sulemana) May 3, 2022

Talking about the political conditions under which journalists in Ghana work, the report said: "To protect their jobs and their security, they increasingly resort to self-censorship, as the government shows itself intolerant of criticism."

— Sulemana Braimah (@sulemana) May 3, 2022