Media asked to avoid unnecessary political debates

Tumu, (U/W), May 9, GNA - Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Communications, has advised media outlets to avoid unnecessary political debates that could breed tension and rather focus on peace, unity and cohesion towards national development.

He asked community radio station operators in particular to use the medium to promote social empowerment and development. The Minister was speaking at the inauguration of RADFORD FM, a local Community Radio Station, based in Tumu in the Sissala East District of the Upper West Region.

The station, known as Radio for Development, (RADFORD 107.5 FM) was established in August 2009 through the collaborative efforts of the Sissala Youth Network, Plan Ghana International and Sissala East and West District Assemblies, to mobilise the communities in the two Sissala Districts for development through the power of radio.

Mr. Iddrisu asked radio stations to ensure that their programmes focused on the promotion of agriculture, environmental conservation, education, sanitation, health, civic education, culture, local language development and HIV awareness creation among others.

He said that government was committed to creating an enabling environment to enhance efficient operations of community radio stations. Mr. Iddrisu said that government would ensure t hat the people received information through the power of radio. He said that he was optimistic that the right to information bill if passed to law would facilitate the work of journalists but warned journalists to adhere to media ethics.

Mr. Iddrisu said that the migration from analogue to digital broadcasting would offer a lot of opportunities to radio stations and called on management of the stations to prepare adequately to reap dividends that would be offered by new technologies in the broadcasting industry. He commended Plan Ghana for supporting the radio station with equipment, funds and human resource.

Mr. Mahmud Khalid, Upper West Regional Minister, appealed to the people to listen to news, announcements as well as educative programmes to make them enlightened. 9 May 10