A Veteran Journalist, Kofi Badu, currently the Chief of Staff of the Manhyia Palace and an Aid-de-Camp to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has been nominated for an honorary award at the 2025 Ashanti GJA Excellence Awards ceremony to be held in Kumasi.
A former Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL) and a household name in Ghana’s media landscape, Mr Badu has distinguished himself in the inky fraternity.
The special award category. “Kofi Badu Veteran Award”, will be opened to other veterans in subsequent award ceremonies.
This year’s award ceremony is on the theme: “Celebrating Excellence, Championing Credibility: Journalism in the Age of AI”.
A six-member planning committee chaired by EIB Network’s Isaac Justice Bediako has been constituted to execute the awards.
The other members are Williams Evans Nkum, Media General (Secretary); Kwame Frimpong (PRO), Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital; award winning Journalist, Erastus Asare Donkor, Multimedia Group; and Ama Nyarko of Hello FM.
A vetting committee has also been instituted to take nominations, vet and adjudge winners.
The members are the Ashanti Regional Editor of the Chronicle Newspaper, Sebastian Freku; John Yeboah, GBC; and Akua Asiedua of Oyerepa TV.
The rest are Dr Fortune Teller of the Department of Communications, KNUST; and Dr Collins Atta Poku, a lecturer at the Christian Service University.
Launch
Speaking at the awards launch in Kumasi last Tuesday, the Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Kofi Adu Domfeh, said this year’s awards was opened to all journalists in the region.
He said the process of getting more journalists registered for the association did not go as expected due to a reform process at the national level.
He apologised to potential members, and assured them that their concerns would duly be addressed.
“It is for this reason that applications for this year’s awards will be open to all media professionals in the region, irrespective of their GJA membership status”, Mr Domfeh, reiterated.
Press Centre
On the leadership’s bid to get a Regional Press Centre in Kumasi, the Regional Chairman said the project was on course, and that the Asantehene had released a space at Nhyiaso for the project.
“The Regional Lands Commission is currently assisting us in securing the requisite documentation to kickstart the project”, he noted.
According to Mr Domfeh, even before the project takes off, Fidelity Bank and Access Bank had advanced financial support for the project, while calling on other benevolent individuals and organisations to help the GJA realise its dream.
Other awards
In all, 15 awards would be presented.
The award categories are Sports, Education, Investigative Journalism, Photojournalism, Arts and Entertainment; Business and Economy; and Environment, Science and Climate.
The rest are Health, Crime and Court; Agriculture, Community Impact Journalism Award,
Best Feature; Best Columnist and Best Documentary Awards.
Entries should cover works published or broadcast from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025.
