The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has called on the media to remain fearless in holding power to account, warning that democracy can quietly erode when journalists choose silence over truth.
Speaking during an engagement dubbed “Holding Government to Account: A Year of Active and Responsible Minority Scrutiny in Ghana’s 9th Parliament,” on Monday, January 26, 2026, Mr. Afenyo-Markin stressed that press freedom is not a privilege but a constitutional guarantee essential to Ghana’s democratic survival.
He cited Article 162 of the 1992 Constitution, noting that it not only recognises the work of the media but actively protects their independence and freedom to question authority without interference.
“Democracy forbids censorship or any action that weakens your duty to inform, scrutinise and challenge power,” he said, adding that without a courageous and independent press, constitutional promises become “mere words on paper.”
The Minority Leader described journalists as guardians of the space between Ghana’s democratic ideals and their actual implementation, arguing that the strength of the Republic depends on the media’s vigilance.
“You determine whether our democracy remains a living, accountable system or degenerates into a performance, impressive in ceremony but empty behind the curtain,” he stated.
Drawing on an analogy from African folklore, Mr. Afenyo-Markin warned against what he described as deliberate silence, seeing wrongdoing but choosing not to speak to avoid consequences.
He said such behaviour marks the beginning of democratic decline.
“Constitutional democracies rarely collapse through violence or chaos. They often die slowly, through the corrosion of conscience and the growing gap between what the Republic promises and how it actually behaves,” he noted.
He cautioned that silence, if allowed to persist, spreads and weakens democratic institutions, but praised Ghana’s media for continuing to expose critical national issues despite challenges.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin, however, encouraged journalists to do even more, urging them to uphold courage, integrity and consistency in their work as the country deepens its democratic practice.
