Julius Debrah Defends Journalists, Says They Are Not Government's Enemies

Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has moved to defuse the persistent friction between government officials and the media in Ghana, insisting that journalists are not adversaries of the Mahama administration but partners whose scrutiny strengthens governance. The intervention, reported on the front page of The National Enquirer's August 18–19, 2026 edition, lands at a moment when Ghana's media environment is being watched closely by both press freedom advocates and the government itself.

A Chief of Staff known for measured public statements

Debrah's remarks are consistent with the broader posture he has cultivated since returning to the Chief of Staff's office in January 2025. He has repeatedly framed accountability, rather than image management, as central to how the Mahama government wants to be judged, telling citizens at an engagement earlier this year that he was proud to serve under a president who "demands accountability," while urging Ghanaians to engage openly with officials, including by reporting failures alongside progress . That same emphasis on transparency runs through his statements on the National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) 2026–2032, where he argued that ethics "must not be confined to documents and speeches" but should become a lived national value system.

The backdrop: a press freedom picture that is improving, but still fragile

Debrah's defence of journalists comes against a mixed but improving national picture. Ghana climbed from 52nd to 39th position in the 2026 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, placing it 4th in Africa and among the continent's stronger performers alongside South Africa, Seychelles, and Namibia.

The Ghana Journalists Association welcomed the rise but cautioned against complacency, with the association's leadership noting that press freedom "is real" in Ghana but "remains under pressure due to increasing threats against journalists".

That pressure has not disappeared. Analysts tracking the country's media environment point out that the 2026 improvement, while genuine, is "not fully consolidated across all dimensions of press freedom," citing uneven enforcement of media laws, precarious media-house finances, and journalist safety that remains "fragile in practice" despite improving on paper. Civil society monitoring has also flagged a pattern of security-driven confrontations with journalists stretching back years, and has welcomed President Mahama's own proposal for structured dialogue between the Ghana Journalists Association, media stakeholders, and security agencies as a step toward rebuilding trust, while cautioning that such dialogue needs enforceable commitments to matter.

Why the message matters now
Coming from the President's own Chief of Staff, a public assurance that journalists are "not government's enemies" carries particular weight in Ghana's current political climate, where opposition figures and civil society groups have periodically accused security personnel of restricting media access during politically sensitive events. By explicitly rejecting an adversarial framing of the press, Debrah appears to be signaling that the administration wants to be associated with the more favorable direction of Ghana's recent press freedom ranking rather than with the frictions that still trouble media advocates.

Whether the statement translates into concrete steps faster investigations into attacks on journalists, clearer protocols for media access to official events, or legal reforms to laws civil society groups say are occasionally misapplied against reporters will likely determine how the Ghana Journalists Association and international press freedom monitors receive it in the months ahead.

Mustapha Bature Sallama.
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal investigation and Intelligence Analysis.

International Conflict Management and Peace Building.USIP

[email protected]
+233-555-275-880
References
MyJoyOnline, "I am proud to serve under a President who demands accountability Julius Debrah," May 5, 2026. https://www.myjoyonline.com/i-am-proud-to-serve-under-a-president-who-demands-accountability-julius-debrah/

ModernGhana, "Julius Debrah urges Ghanaians to embrace ethics and accountability as pillars of national development," September 17, 2025. https://www.modernghana.com/news/1432719/julius-debrah-urges-ghanaians-to-embrace-ethics.html

Ghanaian Times, "GJA celebrates Ghana's rise in global press freedom rankings," May 4, 2026. https://ghanaiantimes.com.gh/gja-celebrates-ghanas-rise-in-global-press-freedom-rankings/

Kobby Kyei News, "Ghana moves from 52nd to 39th in global press rankings, GJA urges sustained effort," May 6, 2026. https://kobbykyeinews.com/news/ghana-moves-from-52nd-to-39th-in-global-press-rankings-gja-urges-sustained-effort/

GBC Ghana Online, "Ghana rises to 39th in press freedom index amid structural challenges," May 5, 2026. https://www.gbcghanaonline.com/news/ghana-rises-to-39th-in-press-freedom-index-amid-structural-challenges/2026/

ModernGhana, "Ghana Rises To 39th In Press Freedom Index Amid Structural Challenges," May 7, 2026. https://www.modernghana.com/news/1491327/ghana-rises-to-39th-in-press-freedom-index-amid.html

Asaase Radio, "Press freedom under siege: A growing climate of media intimidation in Ghana executive summary." https://asaaseradio.com/press-freedom-under-siege-a-growing-climate-of-media-intimidation-in-ghana-executive-summary/