Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Alhaji A.B.A Sympathises With Ghanaian Journalists


Alhaji A.B.A.Fuseini
The Deputy Northern Regional Minister Alhaji A.B.A. Fuseini has observed that, the Ghanaian media is among few categories of professions where professionals are given very little in terms of remuneration yet the public expect much from them.

According to the former Night Editor of the state-owned newspaper, The Daily Graphic, conditions of service of majority of journalists and other media practitioners in the country was nothing good to write home about, yet professionals were faced with a lot of challenges such as lack of working tools and interference in their duties by media owners and other persons as well as state and private corporations.

This situation, he said, was making it impossible for many journalists and media practitioners to deliver to their utmost best as they were susceptible to all kinds of inducement that could influence their professional sense of judgment in the discharge of their duties.

Speaking at a media forum in Tamale, the minister who is also the legislator for the Sagnarigu Constituency, thus commended Ghanaian journalists and media practitioners for being able to discharge their duties successfully despite the numerous challenges they were confronted with on a daily bases.

Alhaji Fuseini encouraged participants to continue to be circumspect in their reportage and programming and also respect the tenets of the profession in order to safeguard their personal integrity and the media houses they worked with.

The forum, under the theme “Towards A Responsible and Peaceful Media Reportage on The Supreme Court Verdict”, was organized by the Northern Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in collaboration with the Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA) and the Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre (NORSAAC).

It was intended to sensitise journalists and media practitioners on the need to exercise greatest circumspection in their reportage and on-air discussions before, during and after the final verdict of the Supreme Court on the case of the 2012 presidential election results that was being challenged by some leading members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The Deputy Northern Regional Commander of the Ghana Police Service ACP Kojo Appiah-agyei in a statement assured the public that men and women of the service were steadfast to ensuring that there was no breach of peace on the day of the Supreme Court’s verdict.

He noted that the police had been sufficiently equipped to take control of any untoward situation that might arise after the court’s ruling and called on the public to support them in the discharge of their duties.

ACP Appiah-agyei also appealed to the public particularly those who intend to foment trouble to advice themselves or face the full rigours of the law when caught in any act of unlawfulness.

Meanwhile, the Northern Regional Chairman of the GJA Mr. Caesar Abagale in comparing the 2004 and 2008 electioneering years, said that of the 2012 was the best when it came to good reportage by journalists in the region.

He commended journalists for their good sense of professionalism and urged them to show similar traits now and forevermore. 

Participants were taken through a thorough discussion of chapter twelve of the 1992 Republican Constitution of Ghana that talked about the Freedom and Independence of the Ghanaian media as well as the GJA Code of Ethics, seeking to refresh their minds on the dos and don’ts of journalism.
 

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