Omane Boamah Offered To Give Police Protection After Ford Saga Expose – Manasseh Azure
Manasseh Azure, an investigative journalist, has described how the previous Communications Minister under John Dramani promised to provide a security escort for his safety when he published a piece about the Ford Expedition Saga in 2016.
He informed Omane Boamah he was safe and didn’t require any security at the time.
However, the veteran writer argues that this cannot be guaranteed under the current Akufo-Addo administration because journalistic freedom appears to be under attack.
“When I was going to air the “Ford Expedition Saga” video, the then Minister of Communication called to ask if he should give me a Police escort if I feel unsafe. I told him (the Minister) no because I felt safe. This is the freedom of the press I am talking about. In that era, when you are writing a story, all you ask for is, is the story factual, accurate and true but today when you are writing a story, what is ask for is [am I safe]?” Manasseh Azure said.
Following the release of the 2018 Press Freedom Index, Manasseh stated that there appears to have been a shift in media freedom since Akufo-Addo assumed power in 2017.
