30th GJA Awards: Stop searching for scandals where none exist – Mahama tells journalists

President John Dramani Mahama has urged journalists to exercise restraint in their coverage of government affairs, warning against what he describes as a deliberate hunt for scandals where none exist, amid ongoing public scrutiny of government expenditure and allegations surrounding the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).

He said while the media must hold public officials accountable, journalists should avoid turning legitimate scrutiny into adversarial engagements that could distract the government from its development priorities.

Speaking at the 30th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Media Awards in Accra on Saturday, November 7, the President criticised journalists who publicly challenge ministers 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 argued that deliberately looking for scandals where none exist could divert attention from issues that directly affect citizens and the government’s development agenda.

He, however, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting the media’s watchdog role, insisting that journalists must retain the freedom to scrutinise government activities.

“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 stated.

The President’s comments come amid public debate over the government’s GH¢49.7 million expenditure on the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks.

The Minority in Parliament has questioned aspects of the expenditure, particularly the payment records for the GH¢5,000 reintegration grant and GH¢500 transport allowance reportedly allocated to each returnee. It has demanded an independent audit of the exercise and accountability from Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

The Ghana Gold Board has also come under scrutiny after the Minority raised questions over the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme, including reported financial losses, operational costs, and transactions involving gold trading companies.

The Minority has called for greater transparency and accountability in the programme, arguing that the financial implications make parliamentary and public scrutiny necessary.

The 30th GJA Media Awards celebrated excellence in journalism and highlighted the media’s contribution to democratic governance, national development and freedom of expression.