Albert Dwumfour re-elected GJA president - Other 5 positions have new faces
Incumbent President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has been re-elected to lead the association for the next three years.
Mr Dwumfour polled 445 votes to beat his sole contender and media trainer, Charles Yao Mawusi, who garnered 245 of the valid votes.
For the Vice-President position, Rebecca Ekpe of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) won the race after polling 414 votes to beat Daily Graphic’s Foreign Editor, Mary Mensah, who secured 272 votes.
Also, incumbent Organising Secretary, Dominic Hlordzi, was elected the General Secretary of the association, with 443 votes to go past two-time contestant of the position, Multimedia’s Akwasi Agyeman, who polled 247 votes.
In another keenly contested race, the acting Editor of Graphic Business, Suleiman Mustapha, polled 365 votes to be elected the Organising Secretary, beating the GJA’s former Eastern Regional Chairman, Maxwell Kudekor, also of Multimedia Group, who polled 321 votes.
Zadok Kwame Gyesi, a former member of staff of Graphic Online, was elected the Public Affairs Director of the GJA with 431 votes. His contender, Caesar Abagali of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) secured 253 votes.
Similarly, Bertha Badu Agyei of the GNA secured 401 votes to be elected Treasurer of the GJA after beating Theodora A. Amedetor Yakunu of GBC, who polled 287 votes.
The keenly fought election saw the national candidates criss-cross the country to canvass votes over the past one month.
Mr Dwumfour came into the GJA leadership for the first time as an Organising Secretary before climbing to the Presidency, and has now been rewarded with a second term.
Regional executives
In the regional executive positions, 49 candidates contested for the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer positions.
While 17 candidates in the Ashanti, Volta, Central, Upper East, Upper West and Eastern regions had contestants, 31 of the candidates went unopposed. More results and reactions will be carried in tomorrow’s edition of the Daily Graphic. Visit our online, www.graphic.com.gh, for more on the GJA elections.
In the Central Region GBC’s Kingsley Nana Buadu was elected the chairman of the association while a Senior News Editor of the Multimedia Group in Kumasi, Kofi Adu Domfeh, was elected the Ashanti Regional Chairman.
Some GJA members who went unopposed as Regional Chairmen are Desmond Cudjoe, Western Region; Michael Dewornu, Tema; Regina Benneh Siaw, Bono; Frederick Antwi, Bono East; and Kwabena Ntow, Oti Region; Yakubu Abdul-Majeed, Northern; and Mohammed Fugu, North East.
Continuity
In his victory speech, Mr Dwumfour said his re-election signalled “a clear desire for continuity, for the consolidation of our gains and for the acceleration of the initiative his first administration started.”
He indicated that his second term would be about building on the successes, learning from the challenges and pushing the boundaries to achieve more together.
“We will continue to advocate for better working conditions, improve press freedom and greater potential for all media partitioners. We will intensify our efforts to combat impunity against journalists, ensuring that those who attack or threaten our members are brought to justice, creating a freer media environment for all,” he said.
Assurance
Mr Dwumfour added that the media under his leadership would continue to hold government accountable, be the voice of the voiceless and provide accurate, balanced and insightful information that empowered the public to make informed decisions.
He called on all stakeholders, including government, civil society organisations (CSOs), academia and the private sector to collaborate with GJA, adding that a strong and independent media was a partner in national development.
