30th GJA Awards: Mahama advises media against chasing non-existent scandals

President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned journalists against what he describes as a deliberate search for non-existent scandals, arguing that excessive confrontation with government officials could undermine the media’s contribution to national development.

His comments follow sustained criticism from the Minority in Parliament over government expenditure on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa and financial concerns surrounding the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).

Speaking at the 30th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Media Awards in Accra on Saturday, November 7, Mahama urged media practitioners to distinguish between legitimate accountability journalism and what he considers adversarial reporting.

He particularly criticised journalists who publicly challenge ministers to appear on their programmes to defend alleged discrepancies, describing such conduct as excessive media zeal.

“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 said.

Mahama maintained that his administration recognised the media’s watchdog responsibility but cautioned against investigations driven by a predetermined desire to uncover wrongdoing.

“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 added.

The Minority has, in recent weeks, demanded greater transparency over the GH¢49.7 million reportedly spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks.

The opposition caucus has questioned the payment records for the GH¢5,000 reintegration grant and GH¢500 transport allowance reportedly allocated to each returnee, insisting that an independent audit is necessary to establish how the funds were disbursed.

It has also called for answers over the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme, implemented through GoldBod, following reported losses of about US$1.7 billion.

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has raised concerns about the programme’s transaction fees, discounted gold sales and the companies involved in purchasing the gold, arguing that the financial implications warrant parliamentary scrutiny.

The controversies have intensified public discussion about transparency in government spending and the role of journalists in investigating matters involving public funds.

While Mahama insists that journalists must avoid pursuing scandals without sufficient basis, he reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the media’s freedom to question government decisions and hold public officials accountable.

The 30th GJA Media Awards brought together media practitioners and other stakeholders to celebrate excellence in journalism and recognise the media’s contribution to Ghana’s democratic development.