The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Stephen Yakubu has called on journalists in the Region to churn-out credible and development-oriented information to help propel development in the Region.
He said the citizenry depended on the media for credible information on happenings in the country to enable them make informed decisions.
“For this country to move forward and develop, journalists are the ones to let everyone know what information is good or bad and how to put it out there,” he noted.
Mr. Yakubu made the call when the newly elected executives of the Regional chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), led by its Chair, Mr. William Jalula called on him to introduce themselves.
The Minister called for collaboration and support from the GJA to work as development partners, saying “We need to work together as a region to find solutions to the problems that face us.”
He said the problems in the region were self-induced, including the politicisation of every development issue, tribal conflicts, and cited the Bawku, Doba and Kandiga intermittent conflicts that drained the coffers of the respective Assemblies and retarded development.
Mr. Yakubu said the Region had enough resources that could be tapped to solve the development needs of the people, and therefore urged the media to rally behind the government to achieve the development agenda of the country.
Mr Jalula on his part, urged journalists to be circumspect in their reportage, and avoid taking sides in the course of their work.
He appealed to the Regional Minister to pay attention to some road networks, the street and traffic lighting systems which he noted were faulty and did not befit the status of the Regional capital, Bolgatanga.
The GJA Chairman proposed that drivers and motorists who knocked down the street and traffic lights should be arrested and made to pay for the damage caused.
He appealed to the Minister to practice an open door administration, and encourage the various Municipal and District Chief Executives across the Region to practice same, so that journalists could cross-check their stories before they published.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
