A political administration which sets up a Complaints Office for the addressing of maltreatment of journalists cannot be regarded as opposed to a free press.
We doff our hats in deference to government for setting up the office which comes on the heels of the progress already made in the direction of ensuring that media practitioners operate without fear.
Coming on the heels of a so-called culture of silence agenda being prosecuted by a political grouping, we find the gesture auspicious.
The world celebrated the World Press Freedom Day recently and in some countries journalists lamented their harrowing plight at the hands of persons or institutions seeking to conceal matters they would not want the public to hear about.
As if that is not enough the Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has embarked upon a nationwide tour to engage with journalists.
It is such a wonderful and well thought out endeavour which will give the needed assurance to journalists that their important role in society will continue to be upheld.
We cannot recall a planned engagement with journalists across the country in the manner we are seeing today.
If this does not show deliberate effort at touching base with journalists and enhancing a spirit of partnership we do not know what else is.
Good governance and democracy as a whole cannot be ensured when journalists undertake their occupation fearing that they could be harmed or even killed. Under the circumstances therefore their safety under the wings of the state is critical.
Democracy can easily be threatened by both state and non-state players. Only an assertive and dauntless media can stand up to search threats in an atmosphere of protection provided by the state.
The importance in ensuring that the Complaints Office lives up to expectation cannot be overemphasized.
Even in so-called advanced democracies such as the US threats to democracy have been noticed especially in recent times which have compelled observers to reconsider their rating of the rich country.
We have observed the advances made in ensuring that the Right To Information takes off fully and without hindrances. When fully functional with all the accessories active and coupled with the complaints office we would have reached an enviable milestone in our democratic march.
It is our hope that having set up the Office, the Information Minister would ensure that it is provided with the necessary logistics and bite to make it relevant and effective.
Setting up such an office and allowing it to sit there without the necessary attributes and bite would render it useless.