ACCRA, March 13, 2019, (GJA) – THE Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has held discussions with two foreign media partners on areas of collaboration to promote media freedom in Ghana.
TheGJA and its partners – Open Society Foundations (OSF), based in London, and Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), are also exploring opportunities for the capacity-building of Ghanaian journalists to enhance the effective discharge of their watchdog mandate.
These initiatives were the outcome of a meeting held between the National Executive of the GJA and officials of the two foreign partners at the Ghana International Press Centre (GIPC) in Accra Tuesday, March 12, 2019.
The foreign delegation were the Programme Officer (Independent Journalism) of OSF, Edward Pittman, and the Senegal Country Officer of OSIWA, Ms Hawa Ba.
The GJA National Executive members present at the meeting were the President, Affail Monney; Vice President, Mrs Linda Asante-Agyei; General Secretary, Kofi Yeboah, and National Organising Secretary, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour.
Also in attendance were the Tema Chapter Chairman of the GJA, Dominic Hlordzi and the GJA Project Consultant, Kojo Mpraim.
Mr Monney highlighted the critical role the media continue to play in the deepening of the country’s democracy and promoting national development.
He said over the years, particularly under the Fourth Republic, Ghana had enjoyed enormous media freedom, culminating in the country being ranked first in Africa in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders.
He, however, noted that some recent developments, especially attacks against journalists, threaten to undermine press freedom in the country.
Mr Monney, therefore, welcomed the move by the GJA and its foreign partners to work towards promoting media freedom in the country.
He also appealed to the foreign partners to support the capacity-building of journalists in Ghana towards a successful coverage of the general elections in 2020.
Responding to questions by Mr Pittman and Ms Ba on investigations into the killing of Ahmed Husein-Suale, a member of the Tiger Eye PI team who was shot dead by unknown assailants, the GJA President said the police were still investigation the matter.
He said the GJA had undertaken a number of activities to mount pressure on the police to expedite the investigations, adding, “We are keeping a keen eye on the investigative ball.”
On his part, Mr Pittman assured the GJA of the readiness of OSF to help promote media freedom in Ghana through capacity-building programmes.
By Peter Crabbe