Kwame Pianim chastises journalists who serve on public boards

Economist and New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart, Mr. Kwame Pianim has criticised current and previous governments for appointing practising journalists to the boards of public institutions.

According to Mr Pianim, media persons who serve on public boards cannot be critical of governments they are part of.

"The media (the fourth estate), yours is to speak truth to power, and I have told my friends who are in the media that if you are easily dazzled by the glare of power don’t get close to power," Mr Pianim said.

"I said it at our meeting the other time: no media person should be a member of the board of any public institution.

"How can you criticise a government that you are a part of? If you are a think tank, you are criticising policy: you should not be part of policymaking".

His comments come after the recent appointments of Metro TV's Paul Adom-Otchere and Peace FM's Kwame Sefa Kayi to the respective boards of Ghana Airports Company Limited and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).