Journalists accused of politicising APRM

Accra, Sept. 28, GNA - Participants at a stakeholders consultation workshop on African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in Accra on Wednesday accused the Ghanaian media for politicising the mechanism due to lack of information on the regional process. They were unanimous that the APRM should not be perceived as a review of the performance of a particular government, but an exercise aimed at promoting the collective interest of society. Journalists and other stakeholders who brain stormed on the challenges and opportunities in implementing the APRM in Ghana attended the workshop organized by the National African Peer Review Mechanism Governing Council (NAPRM-GC).

During discussion, the participants called for a strategy that would provide the media with relevant information in order to educate the public to participate in the implementation process of APRM. Dr Francis Appiah, Executive Secretary of NAPRM-GC, called for political will and commitment through common standards and values in order to achieve the targets of the mechanism. He said the council had focused on monitoring programmes of action, as well as sensitisation programmes that would encourage participation at the grassroots level.

Mr Alex Abankwa, a member of the Governing Council, said since Ghana was the first to submit to the APRM process and the first to present its report to the APRM Heads of State, "this comes with responsibility to take others along our footpath." He expressed gratitude to the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) for providing the necessary support for the process. 28 Sept. 05