The Deputy Minister for the Interior, Hon. Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi has urged the Ghana Police Service to permanently incorporate modules on freedom of expression and the safety of journalists into the curriculum of all national police training schools, describing the protection of media practitioners as essential to Ghana’s democracy.
Speaking at the opening of a training workshop for police officers on “Freedom of Expression and the Safety of Journalists” at Narpo Hotels, in Accra, the Deputy Minister said the ministry fully supports efforts to make respect for human rights and professional cooperation with the media an integral part of policing culture.
“Freedom of expression is more than just a constitutional article; it is the right that gives life to all other rights,” he told participants. “When journalists feel safe, our democracy is safe. When the media works freely, our society grows stronger.”
Hon. Terlabi reminded participants that maintaining public order must go hand in hand with safeguarding constitutional freedoms.
“Your duty is not only to maintain public order but also to safeguard the rights and freedoms that define who we are as a country,” he said.
The Deputy Minister commended UNESCO for training over 8,600 security personnel across Africa in the past decade and thanked the UN OHCHR, the Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Journalists Association for their continued partnership.
The workshop, organised by UNESCO in collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), aims to strengthen mutual understanding and trust between law enforcement and the media, especially during protests, elections, and other high-tension situations.