Let’s build GJA together – Affail Monney to defeated candidates, supporters

Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) president-elect Affail Monney, has courted the support of all members of the association especially the defeated aspirants in the just ended election.

Mr Monney, who retained his seat as GJA President for a second term believes that the association cannot make progress without the contribution of all of its members.

He, therefore, acknowledged their relevance to the association and appealed to them to put whatever differences and dissent they may have and focus on helping to build and strengthen the association.

Monney said at a press conference organised after the declaration of the results at the Press Centre in Accra that “there’s a Malian proverb which says no one finger can wash the face contextually it means no one person can build a formidable GJA so this underlines the need for every media practitioner, irrespective of their differences, irrespective of their preferences for candidate A or B to come together to help build an association which will ignite pride not only in the members but in the generality of the public”.

He admitted that as an association, there are challenges that ought to be addressed but insisted that the newly elected executives will act promptly to deal with the recommendations that have been proposed to deal with some of the challenges facing the GJA.

He noted that “the chairman has underlined the need for reforms and this will be undertaken with urgent promptitude. The chairman says he made other recommendations to shake up the headquarters secretariat to respond to the challenges and now that we are unionised they are bound to multiply.”

Affail Monney was re-elected after he polled 310 votes out of the total 505 votes, followed by his closest competitor, Lloyd Evans who had 147 votes with the third candidate Jonny Aryeetey polling 44 votes and 4 votes were rejected by GJA Election Committee, Friday.

Lloyd Evans has accepted results of the exercise in which he was defeated and immediately quelled suggestions of him taking the elections to court over some allegations of malpractices which fraught the election.

“I did my best and I lost, that is the decision of the Ghanaian journalist, that’s the decision of the fraternity that is their decision and I cannot force myself on them, period” he asserted.

He expressed his readiness to support the executives and association in whatever capacity required to strengthen GJA and make it beneficial to its members.

“Anytime I am available and I am called upon I am ready to assist as for that there’s no two ways about that. It’s an association I have been a member of for more than 30 years” defeated Lloyd Evans stressed.

The other elected executives are Mary Mensah - Public Affairs, Edmond Kofi Yeboah – General Secretary, Linda Asante – Vice President.