Okyehene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin is urging the Ghanaian media to be bold and speak truth to power to ensure that the people entrusted with the mandate to lead the country are kept in check and citizens are well-informed.
He urged Ghanaians to come together as one people to support the media in speaking truth to power in order to check the political elite and facilitate the change Ghanaians deserve.
Citizens, he asserted, will have to challenge politicians to account to compliment the media effort in calling for proper appropriation of the country’s meagre resources and diligence in the implementation of policies.
He urged the media to be courageous and demand accountable governance and transparency from those in the helm of affairs to safeguard the gains the country is making in its development.
“One thing about the media is that you need to have courage. Citizens will have to challenge politicians to account but the media will also have to write and speak truth to power. In places your voice may be lonely, it may not be recognised, it may be misunderstood but speak anyway, because speaking and writing will change things” the revered Chief told the gathering.
Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin intimated that the ordinary people do not have the power to formulate laws but they have the ability to speak on issues and persuade political leaders on policies that could bring development.
Speaking at the second Eastern Region Ghana Journalists Association Awards held at the Royal Mac Dic Plaza Hotel in Koforidua over the weekend on the theme “ Ensuring malaria free society; the role of the media, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin called for a collective effort to make Ghana a malaria free society.
He said, if the people of Ghana do not change their attitude towards the environment and develop an environmentally-friendly attitude, no medicine or medical gymnastics can make Ghana a malaria free society.
“Malaria kills, not only do people suffer, some people in rural Ghana do not even have doctors to take care of them when they fall sick” Okyehene bemoaned.
Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin iterated, the future and prosperity of the Eastern Region depends on agriculture not mining.
He believes the Eastern Region can harness it full potential if government invests heavily in Agriculture instead of mining.
“When I speak like this, I’m just so worried that even as powerful as my office is, there is nothing we can do. Now the president has been ill-advised to introduce small-scale mining modules which will be difficult to control and in effect, contribute to the degradation of the environment’ Osagyefo expressed his concern.
He said in this age and time of Ghana’s history, it is unacceptable to watch young people die from malaria.
Eastern Regional Minister, Honorable Eric Kwakye Daffour commended the Eastern media for the tremendous work they are doing.
He encouraged the media to remain committed, be devoted and selfless to be able to excel in the profession they have chosen.
The Eastern Regional GJA chairman, Maxwell Kudekor expressed worry about the regretfully ineffectiveness, inefficiency and nonchalant nature of Journalists and broadcasters on malaria reporting in the region.
“…Is it not so shocking and sad that as a year earmarked to ensure a malaria free society, there was no single entry for malaria reporting?” the GJA Regional Chairman asked.
He said, of all the health stories filed for this year’s awards, no journalist wrote or reported on Malaria in the region.
He urged the Eastern Media to develop a character to tell the Eastern Regional story.
Mr. Kudekor encouraged journalists to travail all barriers and work to bring change in the lives of the people and challenged his colleague journalists to prioritise issues that affect the people and use their platforms to effect change and facilitate development.
Seven awards were given in the competitive categories at the ceremony whiles two other media houses, Starr TV and MyFM in Koforidua, were honoured as the most promising media houses in the Region.