GNA Anniversary

Accra, March 5, GNA - Ghana News Agency (GNA), the only newswire service provider in the country on Monday celebrated 50 years of service to the nation with the commissioning of a broadband facility that would diversify and reinvigorate its products to the maximum satisfaction of its clients.

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of the Republic of Ghana, established the Agency a day before Ghana's independence with a mandate to inform the public from African perspective and to bring government policies as well as news about the people, their activities, problems, needs and aspirations to the government.

Dr. Nkumah's confidence in the establishment of GNA, which was conceived in his student days, was manifested in the statement when he launched GNA saying, "I foresee the day when, in the press of the world, any news item warranted by the initials GNA will find an unchallenged place in any newspaper of standing wherever it may be."

The Golden Jubilee celebration which was under the theme; "Retooling GNA to Make It as Relevant as it was in the beginning" was climaxed by the handing over of 10 Nissan Double Cabin Pick-ups to the Agency.

Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Information and National Orientation, who was the Guest of Honour at a colourful ceremony in Accra presented the keys to Nana Appau Duah, General Manager, GNA. Mr Bartels said the Agency, in spite of the poor state of its technolohy, equipment, furniture and general outlook, it had been able to bring out quality products due to the high sense of professionalism of its staff and management.

"This is an indication of how resilient, resolute, purposeful and determined the Board, Management and Staff of this great institution are to carry out their mandate in the face of seemingly depressing challenges."

He said GNA had gone to the remotest parts of the country to bring news about the people, "which was dearest to the heart of government because it gave it a bird's eye view of what is happening in the hinterland."

Mr Bartels said the government very much appreciated the role GNA played in building a viable, strong, united democratic state and would not relent in its support to it, to ensure that GNA was re-equipped and strengthened to carry out its mandate.

He said the 50th anniversary of GNA was a fitting prelude to Ghana's Golden Jubilee, which would take off tomorrow March 6, and that the moment should be used to soberly reflect and reposition the Agency to rise above the challenges to survive in the fast moving world of information technology.

Judging by the theme; Mr Bartels said management and staff were now prepared to embrace the public sector reform programme, which was aimed at retooling the GNA and to enable it to access the requisite technology, funding and other benefits to turn it into a smaller but more efficient, self-reliant media organisation.

He appealed to corporate bodies, institutions and individuals to come to the aid of GNA, the livewire of the news media and the stop shop for news and information about Ghana.

Nana Rex Owusu-Ansah, GNA Board Chairman said he was happy the government was responding to the demands of the Agency and congratulated the staff for working hard in the face daunting challenges. Nana Apau Duah, General Manager, GNA said from the modest beginning of three reporters and supporting staff, the GNA had grown to be easily the biggest news gathering organisation in Ghana serving about 80 subscribers through the internet.

He said the Agency's mission was to contribute to the political and socio-economic development of Ghana through gathering, processing and dissemination of high quality news and information.

He noted that since independence the GNA was able to tell the Ghanaian story the way it should be told by Ghanaians themselves. Nana Apau-Duah noted that, Dr Kwame Nkrumah acknowledged the significance of the Agency in 1965, eight years after he was inaugurating GNA's permanent office by saying, "the growth of the GNA since 1957 symbolises in many ways the gigantic strides made by Ghana in its eight years of independence."

Mr Isaac Andoh, A retired Supervising Chief Editor of the Agency, now Managing Editor of the Catholic Standard, who presided asked workers to continue to blaze the torch of the Agency for progress. An exhibition was mounted to showcase the trials and achievements of the Agency, as well as the various personalities who played significant roles to lift the Agency to its present state. 05 March 07