President John Dramani Mahama has urged the media to seek the truth and protect the decency of every Ghanaian since that remains their fundamental mission.

In a message to journalists as part of activities marking the World Press Freedom Day, President Mahama said, "Our press has a fundamental mission: to seek the truth and to protect the dignity and decency of every Ghanaian. On this day, I say to all Ghanaian journalists: Ayeeko! I thank each and every one of you for your dedication! I will always be your partner on our common path towards a better Ghana!"

The statement which he posted on his facebook page added, "As someone who understands communication, I stand in full appreciation for the freedom of speech, but also for the decency with which we choose to communicate so that we don’t instill hate in our fellow-citizens’ souls, but rather a passion towards the truth."

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference.

Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.

It is an opportunity to: celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; assess the state of press freedom throughout the world; defend the media from attacks on their independence; and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Below is the full post by President Mahama:

Today we celebrate World Press Freedom Day. In Ghana, we pride ourselves with one of the freest press in the world. This speaks volumes about our commitment to democracy and transparency.

The plurality of voices, the strong and healthy debates and the thorough journalistic investigations, all provide a milieu where every voice is heard and where every branch of the the government is held accountable to citizens.

As someone who understands communication, I stand in full appreciation for the freedom of speech, but also for the decency with which we choose to communicate so that we don’t instill hate in our fellow-citizens’ souls, but rather a passion towards the truth.

Our press has a fundamental mission: to seek the truth and to protect the dignity and decency of every Ghanaian.

On this day, I say to all Ghanaian journalists: Ayeeko! I thank each and every one of you for your dedication! I will always be your partner on our common path towards a better Ghana!