Mr Kingsley Hope
Bantamahene, Baffour Owusu Amankwatia VI, has called for an end to threats and crimes against journalists in the country.
According to the Bantamahene, although journalists continued to help shape the development of the nation, they were not protected when discharging their duties.
His call comes at the back of the recent gruesome murder of a member of Tiger Eye PI investigative journalist, Ahmed Hussein Suale.
Although the police is yet to find the killers, discussions about the protection of journalists have dominated both social and traditional media platforms since the incident.
Speaking at the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Ashanti Regional media awards launch, which coincided with the annual get-together event in Kumasi, Baffour Amankwatia stressed the need for the state to urgently promote a safe environment for journalists to discharge their responsibilities independently.
“The journalist owes it as a committed duty to expose evil doings in society. By so doing, they incur the displeasure of the masses, especially people with influence and power who have skeletons in their cupboards,” he added.
He urged the state not to interfere in the work of journalists and advised journalists not to allow themselves to be used by persons who want to use their platforms to achieve their personal interests.
The highlight of the launch was the inauguration of a five-member awards committee. They include Johnson Gyampo, Editor of the Pioneer newspaper, Sebastian Freiku, Editor, the Chronicle, Saed Ali Yakubu, Editor, Luv FM.
The rest are Kofi Adu Domfeh, Chief Bureau, Northern sector , TV3 and Mrs Elizabeth Kankam Boadu, Ashanti Regional Manager, Ghana News Agency.
Under the theme, ‘The media’s mandate in fostering sustainable environmental sanitation’, the awards slated for end of May is open to members of the GJA in the Ashanti Region
The guest speaker, Mr. Anthony Mensah, Director of Sanitation, Ministry of Sanitation andWater Resources, praised the media for their contribution to environmental sanitation in the country.
He said one in five Ghanaian defecate in the open, translating to 5million Ghanaians engaged in open defecation on daily basis.
Mr. Mensah said the ministry had directed all metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives to improve on their effort on sanitation by enforcing their bye laws and supervision of the various private contractors working under them.
He added that the ministry would collaborate with the GJA to include a special recognition in this year’s national awards for the media institution that would distinguish itself in the promotion of environmental sanitation.
Chairman of the occasion, Mr Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, called for accuracy in news reportage as he condemned fake news saying, “Fake news is more dangerous than fake drugs.”
FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE, KUMASI
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