Prez: I will resolve challenges with Media Dev. Fund

President John Mahama has pledged to resolve the challenges associated with the implementation of the Media Development Fund (MDF).

He said he would seek audience with Information and Media Relations Minister, Mr Mahama Ayariga, the National Media Commission (NMC) and other stakeholders to address any challenges confronting the disbursement of the fund.

President Mahama made the pledge in a response to a question on the status of the MDF; whether the fund had an administrator, how much had so far been disbursed, as well as the beneficiaries.

MDF

The government in year 2011 announced the establishment of a GH¢1 million Media Development Fund to help the   media in Ghana’s development but the disbursement of the fund is a challenge as stakeholders, led by the NMC and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), have been advocating a neutral body to disburse the fund.

Controversy

It was not until late last year that Mr Ayariga, while answering questions in Parliament, stated that the money for 2011 was used to purchase laptops for journalists.

The minister told Parliament that the laptops were purchased by the ministry after it had consulted key media stakeholder groups - the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) and Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA).

In a sharp rebuttal, GIBA denied receiving any money or laptop from the Ministry of Information, while the GJA  said it received only 140 laptops. Since then, the MFWA has been leading a campaign to ensure transparency and accountability in the disbursement of the fund;  a move that many journalists and media organisations support.

President Mahama

President Mahama explained that he was not privy to the current status of the fund and promised to consult the stakeholders to find out what had gone wrong with its disbursement.

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He also said he would ensure that the right systems were put in place for the smooth disbursement of the fund.

MFWA

The Deputy Executive Director of the MFWA, Mr Sule Braimah, welcomed the President’s response and said it was the duty of the media to monitor that promise keenly to ensure that the issues surrounding the disbursement of the fund were addressed.