GJA President Roland Affail Monney has challenged media practitioners to identify issues of national interest and employ the power of the media to pursue for change in Society. He acknowledged the lack of homogeneity of the media due to media pluralism and encouraged practitioners to always have the interest of the nation at heart as they embark on initiatives.
Mr. Monney was speaking on “We the People”, a monthly local governance programme organised by the Ghana Journalists Association, GJA, in partnership with the STAR –GHANA Foundation, in Accra.
The show did a diagnostics on the aborted referendum to amend article 55(3) that would have pushed for political parties’ participation in local level governance. Mr. Monney, who said the GJA supported a YES vote based on the arguments brought forth that a YES vote would have opened up for more development at the local level and also ignited more change in Ghana’s local governance and Ghana’s democratic journey as a whole.
He expressed concern about the “over politicisation of issues”, in the country and said going forward ‘’a national consensus is integral in moving Ghana forward’’. Mr. Monney said the over politicization is issues, dominated by entrenched positions of the two major parties, NDC and NPP opposing all initiatives of the other party, is inimical to development.
Mr. Monney said unless the two close gaps, and ‘’create a common ground with a nationalist message, achieving national consensus would be a mirage’’.
The GJA President also acknowledged that a lot of misinformation and disinformation contributed to the suspension of the Referendum to amend Article 55(3). There were suggestions from the audience that to eliminate the winner takes all system, where Deputy Ministers are appointed within an opposition party.
The media were also tasked to focus on capacity building so that it can translate to the public during engagements.
Story filed by Rachael Kakraba.
