The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has said that the government remains committed to support the work of journalists in Ghana.
The minister made the statement on Wednesday 5 May, during a three-day tour of the North- East, Upper East, Northern, Savannah and Upper West Regions to engage with journalists.
The tour is one of the government’s efforts to take input from stakeholders, amid discussions about restructuring Ghana’s media landscape and providing media practitioners with the support they need in their day-to-day activities.
The minister said one supportive measure is the new Office for the Co-ordinated Mechanism on the Safety of Journalists. The office will investigate reported attacks on journalists, validate incidents and take any necessary steps to obtain legal redress.
“As we have just finished with the commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day, you may have noticed on the front pages of today’s newspapers that yesterday I opened the Office for the Co-ordinated Mechanism on the Safety of Journalists here in Ghana,” Oppong Nkrumah said.
“That office is just one additional layer to the many other layers of work that the Government of Ghana, and specifically the Akufo-Addo administration, have been embarking on to deepen media freedoms and the freedoms of expression,” he said.
The Information Minister also admonished Ghanaians to adhere strictly to the COVID-19 preventative etiquette. Although the country’s active caseload has stabilised, now is the time to keep wearing face masks religiously and wash our hands frequently to rid the country of the virus altogether, he said.
Meeting with RCC
Beginning from the North-East Region, the minister visited the regional coordinating councils. He interacted with many journalists to acquaint himself with the challenges they face, particularly in remote areas.
Oppong Nkrumah also discussed solutions to the myriad challenges journalists face. He then paid a courtesy call on the Nayiri at his palace.
In his remarks, the North-East Regional Minister, Yidana Zakaria, expressed gratitude to the minister for the engagement.
He assured Ghanaians that President Akufo-Addo’s second term will bring more development projects that will improve the living standards of people in the region.
Appreciation
The overlord of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, Nayiri Nabohagu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga, thanked the minister for his visit.
He took stock of ongoing development projects in the region and described the changes as “unprecedented”, expressing delight with how the current government has brought development closer to local people.
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