Journalists Call For Passage Of RTI And Broadcasting Laws

Journalists Call For Passage Of RTI And Broadcasting Laws

By Mohammed Awal

The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Dr. Affail Monney, has passionately called on the Mahama-led government and Parliament to speed up the passage of the Right To Information (RTI) bill, and the broadcasting laws of the country.

According to him, Ghana could not afford to wait any longer for perfect conditions to implement these vital media laws.

The laws, he said, when passed, would help regulate the media landscape in the country, adding that these laws were needed to regulate the industry, motivate those who employ it for good, and also to deter those who may consciously, or unconsciously, use it stir confusion and violence.

Dr. Monney made the call at the GJA-PAV Ansah Journalist of the Year Award for 2012, and the 18^th Awards Night held in Accra over the weekend to celebrate hardworking journalists, who, amidst untoward hardships and meager remunerations, strive tirelessly to uphold the ethics and guiding principles of the profession.

On the broadcasting law, he stated: “The GJA considers the passage of such a law very crucial to promoting greater professionalism and decency on the air waves. We cannot afford to leave the development of an influential medium as broadcasting to chance.”

In spite of this, “any law we fashion out should not be allowed to gag or stifle democracy. It should be crafted in a manner that would set standards, in terms of technological applications, frequent reach, syndication, programming, sanctions in breach of ethics, and the likes,” he stressed.

Efforts made by GJA to get the laws passed

Dr. Monney, who is also the Acting Director of Radio Ghana of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), lamented how present and successive governments lazily dealt with the efforts of the GJA and others in ensuring that the RTI bill was successfully passed.

The governments glossed over this persistent request, offering flimsy excuses that “even under the Constitutional provision of ‘the people’s right to know’ we need to put in place all the appropriate measures, to enable us carry out any policy of free and easy access to information,” he added.

 “On this matter, the GJA agrees with the famous writer, Mark Twain, who simply says ‘continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.’ There can be no more time to waste, in the name of conditions are not fully ripe,” he noted.

Media’s role in a Democratic State

On the media’s role in ensuring credible elections, Dr. Monney said that important indicators of free, fair, and transparent elections was free, fair and unbiased media coverage.

However, to achieve that, he said “there ought to be both a high sense of professionalism on the part of media personnel, especially, journalists, and an equally high sense of peaceful political campaigns and responsiveness to media relations by political parties.”

The colourful ceremony, themed “Promoting Healthy Partisanship and Fruitful Partnership in Governance: The Role of the Media”, was attended by dignitaries, including Her Ladyship Justice Georgina Wood, Chief Justice of Ghana, Mallam Mohammed Garba, President, Federation of African Journalists, Mahama Ayariga, Minister of Information and Media Relations, and Madam Ruby Sandhu-Rojon, UN Resident Coordinator to Ghana

Awards

A reporter of Radio Ghana of GBC, Kingsley Obeng Kyere, won the Best Journalist of the Year 2012, with a story entitled ‘Where did half the ladle go?’

The story saw him scoop the ultimate from a line-up of formidable and capable journalists whose hard work had been duly noted over the period of estimation, review, and consideration.

The same story also earned him the award of being the best in science reporting. His work unearths and exposes the dangers associated in the usage of metallic cooking utensils in cooking. Shortly after being adjudged the 2012 GJA-PAV ANSAH Journalist of the Year, Mr. Obeng Kyere expressed his heart felt gratitude to the almighty God for his mercies, saying he takes consolation from the Word, and appealed to the media fraternity to devote their hearts and give their best in the field of work.

“I never relent on anything I did provided it is serving the needs of society, and that the policy of development is my hallmark in the discharge of my duty,” he added.

He further urged colleagues journalists to eschew journalism of divisiveness, equalisation, and assume the role of apostles of development, gate keeping, and enlightenment.

Below is the full list of award winners
Honorary Awards 

Cyril Acorlatse

Ms Wendy Asiamah

Mr Tom Dorkenoo

Mrs Margaret Sarfo

Mr Theophilus Mawusi Afele

Journalist of the Year - Kingsley Obeng Kyereh - GBC Radio

Best in News Reporting (Print) - Charles Benoni Okine - Graphic Business

Best in News Reporting (Radio) - Kwaku Owusu Peprah - Joy FM

Best in News Reporting (TV) - Manasseh Azure Awini - Joy FM

Best in Feature (Print) - Edmund Kofi Yeboah - Daily Graphic

Best in News Reporting (TV) - Odelia Ofori - TV3

Best in Investigative Reporting - Kwetey Nartey - TV Africa

Best in Photojournalism - Emmanuel Quaye - Daily Graphic

Best in Sports - Dzifah Tetteh - The Ghanaian Times

Best in Arts/Entertainment & Domestic Tourism - Rebecca Awuah - GTV24

Best Entry in Small and Micro Scale Enterprises - Maxwell Akalaare - Graphic Business

Best in Environmental Report - William Asiedu - The Mirror

Best Report in Health - Rebecca Quaye - The Mirror

Best Report in HIV and AIDS - Jamila Akweley Okerchire - Daily Guide

Best in Development Journalism for furthering MDGs - Efua Acquaah-Harrison - TV3

Best in Rural Reporting - Gifty Andoh Appiah - Joy FM

Best in political Reporting - Konrad Kakraba - GTV

Human Rights (focus on Child Rights) Fanny Nana Ampong - GTV

Best Report on Disability - Rosemary Gaisie - GBC Radio

Best Report on Peace, Democracy and Peace Building - Radio XYZ

Best Report on Education - Seth Bokpe - Daily Graphic

Best Report in Agriculture - Isabella Owusu Oppong - GTV

Best radio/TV programme - Akan - Radio Peace (Winneba)

Best radio/TV programme - Ga - Obonu FM

Best Report on Science - Kingsley Obeng Kyere - GBC Radio

Young Promising Journalist of the Year - Hannah Acheampong Amoah - Junior Graphic

Young Promising Journalist of the Year (Runner-up) David Adadevoh - The Ghanaian Times

Japan boosts healthcare delivery in Keta Municipality

Japan boosts healthcare delivery in Keta Municipality

By Mohammed Awal

The government of Japan, under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP) scheme has provided an amount of $121,914 for the construction of Community-Based Health Planning and Service (CHPS) compound for Agortoe CHPS zone in Keta Municipal Assemby in the Volta Region.

The Agortoe CHPS zone comprises of nine settlements in the catchment area, namely Agbatsivi, Kpordui, Hadota, Salo, Sokutime, Sodzi, Vorvornukope, Aflanto and Sukladzi.

The project consists of the construction of a clinic block, nurses’ quarters and procurement of medical equipment and furniture. And it was estimated to benefit not less than 3,500 inhabitants in the Agortoe CHPS zone.

The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Mr. Naoto Nikai told the media at a signing ceremony for grant assistance between GGHSP and the Keta Municipal Assembly in Accra Tuesday that when completed the CHPS compound would bring basic health care service delivery to the door steps of the people in the area.

The inhabitants of the area commute several kilometers to other health stations just to seek health care, according to him.

The problem he said intensifies during the raining seasons when feeder roads were being rendered unmotorable for residents seeking medical care.

“Unfortunately, patients who are not able to commute to health facility face serious health implications which tend fatal”, the Ambassador lamented.

His government, he said, would do all it could to revert these phenomena, promising: “The government of Japan is more than willing to be able to extend its assistance to improve the health profile of the Agortoe community and its surroundings”.

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), of the Keta Municipal Assembly, Sylvester Edah Tornyeavah congratulated the Japanese government for its gesture noting that the gesture would undoubtedly go a long way in easing pressure on the already stressed limited health outlet in the municipality.

“There is a remarkable deficit in health centers within the municipality. In juxtaposing with the total population, the number of recognized quality health centers is not woefully discouraging.

“The construction of the CHPS compound within the municipality is, therefore, a great opportunity for people within the community and beyond to have access to quality health care without having to traverse long distances,” he noted.

Japan supports Construction of Boreholes in E/Region

Japan supports Construction of Boreholes in E/Region 

By Mohammed Awal

The government of Japan under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP) scheme has given an amount of $119,964 to the Hunger Project-Ghana (THP-Ghana) to construct 10 mechanized boreholes in 10 epicenter clinics in the Eastern Region.

The ten(10) epicenter clinics to benefit from this goodwill are located at Kwakyekrom in Akwapim District, Aworasa in West Akim, Adonkwanta in East Akim, Kwaboadi in Akyemansa,Tweapese in Birim North, Atuobikrom in Kwahu south, Konkoney in Upper Manya Krobo, Anyansu in Asuogyaman, Akpo-Akpamu and Obenyemi, both in the Yilo krobo Districts..

The project was aimed at providing safe water to improve sanitation and delivery of quality health in these selected epicenter clinics within these communities.

 The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Mr. Naoto Nikai told the media at a signing ceremony for grant assistance between GGHSP and the THP-Ghana in Accra Tuesday.

Mr. Nikai added that the project is estimated to benefit about 55,056 people in these selected communities of the Eastern Region.

Mr. Nikai further revealed that, THP-Ghana’s ‘Epicenter Development Strategy’ would be pursued with a lot of commitment and determination as it has been done since 2001, to ensure the total wipe out of hunger and poverty in rural communities in Ghana.

The development strategy he said, would position THP-Ghana to contribute significantly to the attainment of all the (8) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Ghana.

The strategy he noted would adopt an integrated participatory and decentralized grassroots approach to poverty reduction and development.

The Country Director of THP-Ghana, Mr. Samuel Erasmus Afrane on his part assured the beneficiary communities that, from now on issues of lack of safe water that has bedeviled them for decades would now be a thing of the past.