GJA holds emergency meeting in Accra
A consortium of financial institutions have agreed to undertake the second phase of the national press centre project, the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Affail Monney, has announced.
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The project, he said, would be a high-rise multi-purpose complex building with a 2000-seater capacity conference hall, offices, hotel, bank and a car park.
A consultant has been contracted to come out with a blueprint for the project after which construction work would commence. When the blueprint is approved, the project would be completed in 24 months.
Mr Monney disclosed this to the Daily Graphic after an emergency meeting of the association at the Press Centre last Thursday.
He expressed the hope that when the project was completed, the financial difficulties of the association would be solved as the facilities would be rented out to generate revenue for the association.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, Mr Monney said plans to unionise the association was on course with the engagement of a veteran journalist, Mr Mohammed Affum, who was knowledgeable in union issues, to assist in the process.
Unionisation
"We remain convinced that GJA needs to take the issue of unionisation seriously if it is ever to promote more effectively the welfare of its members," he said.
Mr Monney said welfare impacted on professionalism and added that "there surely can be no justification for journalists being unprofessional because of poor remuneration".
He, however, conceded that better remuneration and better conditions of service could also facilitate and promote professionalism.
Mr Monney urged members of the association to always abide by the code of ethics of GJA so as to reduce the infractions that undermined public trust and confidence in the media.
He announced that the association had sourced a grant of $7500 from UNESCO towards a sensitisation campaign on the Ebola disease.
The Friederich Ebert Foundation, he said, had also agreed to fund a review of the association's constitution, which would be done after undertaking workshops in all the 10 regions.
Membership dues adjusted
The gathering also voted for an upward adjustment of the membership dues from the current GH¢5 a month to GH¢20.
The Director of Newspapers of the Graphic Communication Group Ltd, Mr Yaw Boadu Ayeboafoh, in moving the motion for the upward adjustment said the prevailing economic situation in the country had made the GH¢5 valueless and unable to support the activities of the association.
Majority of members present voted in favour of the upward adjustment to GHc20.
Various reports presented by the regional executives of the association called for greater collaboration in pushing forward a strong agenda for the association.
Writer's email: victor.kwawukume@gmail.com