N/R GJA to Award Practitioners, Build Media Resource Centre

Mr. Caesar Abagali, GJA Chairman

The Northern Regional Chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has taken a bold decision to recognise the efforts and invaluable contributions of practicing journalists and other media personnel in the region by the end of this year.

The Regional GJA Chairman Caesar Abagali who made the announcement amidst resounding applause from a cross-section of journalists and other media practitioners at an event to mark World Press Freedom Day said, “….the Regional GJA is planning a Northern Region Journalists Awards, to reward hard working media personnel whose work had projected the region and effected change.

“We are thinking of the first week in November, either after or before the National GJA Awards. In this regard, we are counting on the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, the various District Assemblies, NGOs and corporate bodies to assist the GJA to organise the event. We are planning to launch the event in first week of June”, he disclosed.

Mr. Abagali also announced that, the Regional GJA is in the process of acquiring land from the Lands Commission to construct a Media Resource Centre. “The centre would among other things serve as a “Regional Journalism Library” for research, a conference centre for formal and informal meetings”, he stated.

The Media Resource Centre according to Mr. Abagali will have a gym and a restaurant attached to ensure that funds are generated to run the place. He again appealed to the Northern Regional Coordinating Council particularly the Regional Minister Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna and his Deputy Alhaji A.B.A. Fuseini to help the association realise this noble and cherished dream.

He further appealed to the government to ensure equitable utilization and distribution of the Media Fund to benefit the Rural Reporter. “The Fund should not be left in the corridors of Accra where the Information Ministry and editors of some media organisations decide who benefits. The Fund should benefit deserving journalists irrespective of geographical location who want to improve or upgrade themselves and this should be done devoid of one’s political affiliation”, he stressed.

This year’s World Press Freedom Day is on the theme: “Development Journalism, Media Safety and Integrity”. The day is marked each year on May 3^rd and seeks to celebrate the achievements and remind each other of the code and ethics that guides the media profession.

It is also a day to assess the level of freedom journalists are enjoying as well as the dangers that are likely to sequester such freedom either from or within governments or private individuals who feel threatened by the existence of a powerful, accountable media, and take action to safeguard this freedom since freedom and independence of the press is the lifeline of every practicing journalist. According to the 2013 World Press Freedom Index released recently by Reporters Without Borders, Ghana placed 30^th out of 179 countries. In Africa, Ghana placed 3^rd, behind Namibia (19^th of 179) and Cape Verde (25^th).

Mr. Abagali charged media practitioners to guard jealously the media freedom in the country, because over exercise of the freedom, he said, might infringe on others rights. “The Regional Chapter of the GJA would not condone any wrongdoing on the part of any journalists and whoever thinks the pen is mightier than the sword and would wail it unprofessionally. Equally, we will not also allow any entity or a group of people to manhandle media personnel who are on their legitimate duties”, he cautioned.

Meanwhile, the Regional Minister Alhaji Limuna who was Guest of Honour pledged his support to the GJA and other media organisations in the region, and encouraged journalists to aspire to be development and peace crusaders and not troublemakers.