GJA inaugurates committees to promote high standards

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has inaugurated various committees in pursuant of Article 30 of the GJA Constitution for the effective administration of the association.

The committees are the Membership Vetting Committee, Professional Development Committee, Social Affairs, International Relations, Finance and Resource Mobilisation.

The rest are Constitutional Review Committee, Research Committee, Ethics and Disciplinary Council.

Inauguration

Inaugurating the committees in Accra yesterday, Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, who is also a former President of the GJA tasked the members to work assiduously to promote high standards of professional journalism in the country.

He also urged them to work to uphold the constitution of the association and to ensure that the profession was more accountable and responsible to duty bearers to promote ethical journalism practice.

Article 42 of the GJA Constitution mandates the association to form committees and all the specified committees must be composed of five members and chaired by a National Executive Member.

National asset

Mr Blay-Amihere described the association as a national asset which helped to sustain democracy, good governance and accountable leadership.

He urged all members of the committees to continue with the feat chalked up to consolidate national development.

“During our tenure of office as executive of the association, we depended on the hard work of the committees to succeed. I urge the committee members to give of their best to assist GJA to act on their mandates”, he said.

He implored all members to work together and help provide free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections in December 2020.

Innovative ways

Mr Blay-Amihere urged the Finance Committee members to explore innovative ways to generate funds for the association and venture into other investments.

He commended the executive for involving members from the regions, adding that the initiative had forged a sense of cohesion to work effectively to better the association.

The President of the GJA, Mr Roland Affail Monney, urged journalists to exhibit professionalism in their reportage by not yielding to the temptation of tilting information to satisfy anyone’s selfish interest.

He said media consumers looked up to the media fraternity to show the way and feed the public with correct, unbiased, untainted, pure and unadulterated information, and should, therefore, not fail to live up to that expectation.

Political parties

Mr Monney said the varying opinions by political parties over the creation of the new voters register and the insistence by the Electoral Commission to go ahead with the new register had the tendency to scale up tension.

He explained that such happenings tested the competence of journalists, since they would be squeezed to pledge allegiance to certain partisan opinions.

He, however, advised journalists to remain resolute in the face of the temptations and stand by the ethics of the profession, which were fairness and objectivity.

Dr Anthony Bonnah-Koomson, a media consultant, on behalf of the members of the committees, commended the leadership of the association for the confidence reposed in them and pledged to work effectively as expected of their mandates.

The committees

The GJA President chairs the Membership and Vetting Committee, which includes: Mr Samuel Osei Frimpong, Ghana News Agency; Mr A. C. Ohene, Adom FM/Adom TV; Ms Rebecca Ekpe, GBC; and Mr Emmanuel Akli, Ghanaian Chronicle.

The Professional Development Committee is chaired by Mrs Linda Asante-Agyei, GJA Vice President, with Dr Anthony Bonnah-Koomson, Dr Kweku Rockson, Dean of the School of Communication Studies of Wisconsin International University College, Ghana; Mr Dave Agbenu, Ghanaian Times; and Mr Seth Kwame Boateng, Multimedia Group, as members.

International relations

The International Relations Committee is chaired by the GJA Public Affairs Officer, Ms Mary Mensah with Mr Francis Ameyibor, Ghana News Agency; Mr Dominic Hlordzi, GBC; Ms
Kate Baaba Hudson, Daily Graphic; and Baisiwa Dowuona-Hammond, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as members.

The GJA National Treasurer, Mrs Audrey Dekalu, chairs the Finance and Resource Mobilisation Committee with Mr Godwin Avenorgbo, Media consultant; Gayheart Mensah of Vodafone Ghana Limited; Charles Benoni Okine of Graphic Business; and Mabel Aku Baneseh of CREDICOMMS Limited as members.

Review committee

The Constitution Review Committee is chaired by Samson Lardy Anyenini, a private legal practitioner and broadcaster; other members are Bright Blewu, member of the National Media Commission; Tanko Musah, lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) and a lawyer; Edward Nana Asare, Ghana News Agency; and a lawyer; Georgina Naa-Maku Quaittoo, The Spectator; and Justice Mingle, GBC.

The rest are A. B. Kafui Kanyi, GJA Volta, and Oti Regional Chairman; Caroline Boateng, Daily Graphic; Regina Asamoah, Atinka Media Village; Thomas Adotei Pappoe, TV3; and Kofi Yeboah, GJA General Secretary.

Members of the committees after the inauguration