Ghanaian Journalists deserve better remuneration - Adomako Baafi

The acting communication director of the NPP, Lawyer Adomako Baafi has charged government and owners of various private-owned media houses and to pay their staff living wages.

According to him, most journalist are paid porly despite the critical role they play in nation building.

Lawyer Baafi speaking to journalist on the sidelines at the May Day celebration in the Western Region.

He said "The watchdog and mouthpiece role of the media is highly under threat since most of them just like a stringed puppet are controlled by their paymasters from whom they earn advertisements and sponsorship packages".

He used the occasion to congratulate workers in the country and beyond for their immense contribution towards productivity and urged them to work hard to achieve success.

He, therefore, expressed worry over the poor pittance some owners of private-owned media houses in the country pay journalists who work for them.

He revealed that some owners pay these journalists less than GHC200 as their monthly salary.

He added that as a result of the payment, these journalists may involve themselves in corrupt practices and also bring fake news to the public.

"How a journalist working at a particular private radio station be paid less than GHC200 as his or her monthly salary and you expect he or she to deliver well, no he or she will be influenced greatly by politicians to tone to their lines and I always weep for them and I always ask myself that when is this going to stop?", he lamented.

The NPP Communications Director pleaded with the owners of the private-owned media houses and other public ones to pay the journalists who work for them well because their work is deadly and dangerous.

He admitted that the standard of living of these journalists was at stake and very bad but "we always expect them to deliver to our expectations".

He admitted that without these journalists the country cannot develop well so before we can see them doing their duty as watchdogs in our society, their incentives should be respected.

He used the occasion to commend the MP of the area who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs by honouring workers including journalists in his Constituency.

He urged the people to rally behind the MP to continue with the good work he has started.

"Hon Paul Essien has started well and I pray that he will continue with the good work, may God bless him and give him wisdom to help his people", he prayed.

Speaking to Western Regional Correspondent for GhanaWeb after the celebration, Lawyer Adomako Baafi charged his party members and communicators to respect the work of the media and support them not to work for their favour.

He revealed that journalists in this country are doing great job and they need to be commended.

"I personally respect journalists in this country and I don't joke with them, I respect them because their work is very dangerous and deadly", he emphasized.

He appealed to the government to protect journalists in this country and punish any person who will attack any journalist in this to serve as a deterrent to others.

"The attacks on journalists must end today and we should allow them to do their work independently without fear of victimization", he charged.

He also advised journalists in the country to remain neutral in their work and avoid any corrupt act that will tarnish their images.

At the end of the celebration, the MP of the area awarded over One Thousand workers for working hard to develop the area.

Items given to the workers included, motorbike, TV sets, sawing machines, hairdryers, fridges, air conditioners, iPads, cutlasses, fowls among others.