GLOMEF CEO Decries Fake News Spread by Traditional Media Outlets

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GLOMEF CEO Decries Fake News Spread by Traditional Media Outlets

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF), Raphael Godlove Ahenu has expressed deep concern over the rising spread of fake news by reputable traditional TV and radio stations in Ghana.

Mr. Ahenu noted that the proliferation of misinformation, often driven by political interests, undermines public trust in the media. Speaking to a section of the media in Accra, he cited recent cases where reckless political allegations were amplified without proper verification.

In one instance, the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, alleged that President John Dramani Mahama’s recent trips to Japan and Singapore cost the taxpayer over GHC15 million, claiming the President used a hired private jet for the journey. The allegation was widely circulated on mainstream TV and radio platforms. However, the Minister of State in charge of Communications at the Office of the President, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, dismissed the claims as false, misleading, and politically motivated, clarifying that the President traveled on commercial airlines and that the figures quoted had no basis in fact.

Similarly, a former Deputy Minister of Education and Member of Parliament, Rev. Ntim Fordjour alleged at a parliamentary press briefing that two aircraft which sometime ago landed in Ghana, were involved in money laundering and illicit drug trafficking. The comments quickly dominated the media space. Once again, government spokesperson Felix Ofosu Kwakye refuted the allegations, describing them as false. He explained that the aircraft had landed due to minor technical faults and other legitimate reasons, not criminal activity.

Another high-profile case came from Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu, who between 2023 and 2024 persistently alleged that then President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo spent millions of taxpayer cedis on luxurious private jet travels abroad, instead of using Ghana’s presidential jet. Mr. Ablakwa went further to claim that the President was bathing and romantically involved with a lady, Serwaa Broni, aboard luxurious planes, portraying the trips as wasteful and morally questionable. These allegations dominated mainstream media discussions for months. The Presidency, however, strongly rejected the claims, explaining that the President’s travels were guided by security, safety, and efficiency considerations, and describing the “Serwaa Broni” allegations as false, scandalous, and deliberately defamatory.

“It is astonishing that in an age of accessible fact-checking tools, some media organizations continue to prioritize sensationalism over truth,” Mr. Ahenu stated. “While I do not primarily blame those who make reckless political statements, I hold the media accountable for failing to verify the facts before publication or broadcast.”

Mr. Ahenu emphasized that this disregard for accuracy erodes journalistic credibility and weakens Ghana’s democratic institutions. He called on traditional media outlets to recommit to ethical reporting and rigorous verification processes.

“Fact verification must never be compromised for the sake of speed or political expediency,” he said. “The press must serve as a beacon of truth—not an amplifier of lies.”