Media must publish what is in the interest of the nation

Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Darteh (rtd), Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development on Easter Sunday, urged the media to recognize its role as the fourth realm of the state and ensure that what is published is in the interest of national development.

He expressed reservations about publication of untruths and half-truths by a section of the media by castigating certain personalities and some members of government.

"The repeal of the libel law is no freedom for the media to publish just anything to sell your paper or to serve the interest of any individual or group of people", the Deputy Minister cautioned and advised journalists to be circumspect about what they publish.

Captain Effah-Darteh, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Berekum, was speaking at a get-together for the NPP party executives and functionaries in the constituency and a cross-section of the media in the region.

He noted: "Without the press no democracy can survive" and emphasised that the country now needed a vibrant and vigilant press to spearhead the implementation of government policies and programmes.

The Deputy Minister said: "the government abolished the libel law to give the media an unfettered privilege so that they could play their role effectively, but unfortunately, some journalists are misusing this freedom".

Let us publish the truth and defend this freedom to the hilt because the NPP government is not ready to repeat the mistakes of the past and is determined to serve the country loyally, Captain Effah-Darteh said.

Captain Effah-Darteh, noted that some District Chief Executives (DCEs) are reported to have erased the names of their districts embossed on official vehicles without any reason.

He said the police had been instructed to seize such vehicles and send them to the Ministry if by Friday, April 25, the names are not re-embossed, adding "those DCEs who have erased the names should replace them at their own cost".

The Deputy Minister called for the engagement of "knowledgeable persons" for newspaper review programmes to be more educative and productive .

He said the NPP was determined not to fail the country and would work hard to ensure that it is returned to power for national progress and prosperity.

Nana Obiri Boahen, a Sunyani-based lawyer, noted the uncooperative and poor relations among certain party executives, MPs and DCEs in the region.

He said this development does not augur well for the party's development, and advised that all hands must be on deck for the development of the country.

Mr Charles Koomson, Vice-Chairman of the Brong Ahafo branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), pledged the support and fruitful contributions of journalists towards the implementation of government policies and programmes for the socio-economic development of the country.