Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Evans Opoku-Bobbie, has commended the media for their contribution to the nation’s development as agents of social change and tasked them to put in more effort to ensure society’s development.
“Last year, it was the singular effort of the media in the campaign against galamsey that galvanized the support of all to fight this menace and it clearly shows how powerful the media can be if they come together to fight for social change,” he emphasized.
The Minister gave the commendation in an address read on his behalf at the official launch of Brong Ahafo 2018 Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards in Sunyani.
It was on the Theme: “Promoting Responsible Mining in Ghana; the Role of the Media. The main event will be held in March 2019.
Journalists will be awarded in 17 categories.
The Minister said press freedom and freedom of speech are being promoted by the government, and appealed to media owners to design programmes that will not only entertain, but inform, educate and rally support for social interventions being executed in communities.
He assured of government’s commitment to ensuring that the media continues to stay relevant and drive the country’s development agenda, and therefore called on donor agencies and stakeholders to collaborate with MMDAs to initiate and execute interventions that will reduce the suffering of Ghanaians.
The Brong Ahafo Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), launched the awards scheme to reward and motivate journalists producing and publishing compelling development-oriented stories in the region.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of the GJA, Larry Paa Kwesi Moses, in his welcome address, assured that the GJA in the region was determined to ensure that journalists and media practitioners discharged their constitutional obligations in accordance with the ethics of the profession, and pledged the commitment of the executives to work tirelessly to promote high ethical standards.
“Journalism is purposely for development, and a more proactive and responsible media association like the GJA will continue to push the agenda to spur rapid socio-economic growth and facilitate accelerated development in the region to help improve the livelihoods of the people”, he emphasized.
He explained that the awards is aimed at motivating deserving journalists, and pledged the association’s commitment to weed out practitioners whose activities do not conform to the ethical standards of the profession in order to uphold the image of the profession.
The Chairman and Krontihene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, Oboaman Bofotia Boamposem, charged media owners to adequately pay and motivate their workers to guarantee their professionalism.
He pledged the traditional authority’s readiness to partner the media for sustainable development, and urged them to be professional.
A five-member committee led by Dr. Leonard Victor Amengo which has been tasked to ensure the success of the event was later inaugurated.
–
By: Mashoud Kombat | citinewsroom.com |Ghana