Baffuor Asare Owusu Amankwatia VI, Bantamahene has charged government to provide support to media practitioners to enable them excel in their profession.
According to him, incentives like sponsorship for media training as well as scholarship packages for media persons to study are some of the ways government could use to encourage media practice.
Speaking as guest of honor at the launch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) media awards for practitioners in the Ashanti Region, Nana Bantamahene said investments into media outfits would never be a waste since that will enable practitioners to do better in the field they have chosen.
The Bantamahene also charged media owners to carry out in-house training for their staff and asked that they also provide them with better remuneration so as to get the best out of their employees.
‘’I charge government to provide every needed incentive to journalists in the country so that they can get the best of training and knowledge to project indigenous as well as government sponsored businesses’’, Baffuor Amankwatia noted.
REGIONAL MINISTER:
Addressing practitioners in the region earlier at the awards launch, Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister applauded the Ashanti media for its vibrancy and assured them of completing the Kumasi Press Center by the end of this year through the support of all the metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) in Ashanti.
He, however, urged practitioners to apply the professional ethics their work enjoins them to, adding such will distinguish them from the fake media.
Mr Mensah bemoaned attacks on media practitioners and called on the Police to intensify investigations into the recent gruesome murder of Ahmed Suale, an employee of Tiger Eye PI.
The Regional Minister rallied practitioners to cross-check information they get with the right outfits, adding this will help them avoid useless confrontations as well as the threats of legal suits.
‘’No media person should suffer for the work they do since they have proven they are partners with government for development’’, Mr Osei-Mensah stressed.
ASHANTI REGIONAL CHAIRMAN:
Speaking at later, Kingsley E. Hope, Ashanti Regional GJA Chairman thanked the dignitaries for showing commitment to the course of media practitioners in the country.
He said support from government, business men and private as well as public institutions engender confidence in practitioners to partner with them for development.
Announcing the committee members for the awards slated for May, 2019, the chairman said the awards are open to every working media person in Ashanti.
Johnson Gyampo, Elizabeth Kankam Boadu, Sebastian Freiku, Alhaji Saeed Ali-Yakub and Kofi Adu Domfeh are the committee members for the awards, Mr Hope noted.
He mentioned health, sanitation, HIV/AIDS, sports, rural reporting, anti-corruption, oil and gas and many others will be up for entries to be submitted.
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