Renowned communication scholar and media analyst, Professor Godwin Etse Sikanku, has commended President John Dramani Mahama for his consistent and strategic use of presidential press conferences.
He described them as a “totemic feature” of his political career and a vital instrument for democratic accountability in Ghana.
In a reflective post shared on social media, Prof. Sikanku praised President Mahama’s congeniality and fluency in media engagement, noting that his “gift of the garb,” media savvy, and tempered experience have made his press conferences a model for political communication in Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
“President Mahama needs to be commended for his contribution to the institutionalisation of the press conference as an effective tool for political communication in Ghana’s modern democracy,” Prof. Sikanku wrote.
He emphasised the importance of the presidency as a national institution that profoundly shapes lives, societies, and history, arguing that citizens deserve regular, transparent updates on decisions made at the highest level of government.
“The presidency is such a vital institution that profoundly affects our lives in such fundamental ways… It is extremely important to be well informed about what takes place there, the decisions that are being made, and how the course of the nation’s destiny is being shaped,” he stated.
Prof. Sikanku, who has conducted extensive research on presidential communication, recalled a study he co-authored with Dr. Kwaku Botwe in 2016, the first social scientific analysis of a presidential press conference in Ghana, conducted under the Mahama administration. A follow-up study was carried out in 2017 under President Akufo-Addo’s tenure.
The research examined the discursive structure of the press conferences, the relevance and depth of questions posed by journalists, and the responsiveness of the presidency.
According to Prof. Sikanku, such engagements are not merely ceremonial but serve as substantive mechanisms for governance and public accountability.
Despite their effectiveness, Prof. Sikanku expressed concern over the underutilisation of press conferences by many African leaders, including some in Ghana, calling for a more consistent and deliberate approach to media engagement.
“The press conference is such a fascinating and extremely effective tool of governance that I’ve often wondered why Ghanaian and some African presidents do not use it often enough,” he observed.
He concluded with a call for press conferences to be conducted in formats that leave citizens “adequately informed, adequately accounted to,” and that encourage journalists to ask questions of “clarity, depth and relevance.”
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