Pay attention to developmental issues - Osafo Maafo

Accra, April 14, GNA - Mr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning on Tuesday called on the media to focus on reporting developmental issues, especially issues related to the economy.

"Newspapers should look at Ghana today and report on the situation or even decide to devote a page to economic issues; he said and pointed out that Ghana's economy had a fundamental problem that needed to be discussed.

Mr Osafo-Maafo was speaking at the launch of a Newspaper; "The Patriot" which aims at contributing towards the defence of democracy. He expressed concern about some issues that make headlines in some newspapers and said it was important that the media reported the truth with courage to help develop Ghana's democracy, adding; "Be Courageous but factual."

Dr Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party, said democracy did not come by chance, people fought for it, welcoming the idea that the newspaper is out to promote and support democracy.

He expressed concern about attacks on some suspected sympathizers of the NPP and said such acts destroyed democracy and it should be discussed and condemned.

Mrs Gladys Asmah who launched the paper said: "We have accepted mediocrity as a norm so if a person excels it becomes a problem." She called on the publishers of The Patriot to be bold and cultivate a good attitude towards their work to make the newspaper a success. Nii Laryea Sowah, Executive Secretary of the Private Papers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) urged owners of The Patriot to register with PRINPAG.

He pointed out that newspapers do not thrive on sales but on advertisement as well as an effective marketing and distribution strategy and announced that PRINPAG would soon come out with a mechanism to help privately owned newspapers.

Nii Sowah said the discrimination among newspapers in Ghana where government owned press is favoured in terms of advertisement did not augur well for the country's democracy and urged the government to give advertisement to private papers. Ms Elizabeth Ohene, chairman of the event, said it was better that Ghana had a free press where all opinions are heard and urged media practitioners to help firm up the concept of freedom of expression in the country. "I am surprised at the new vocabulary, "Enemy Media," which we hear these days, but it is better to be tagged enemy media when you are defending democracy," she said. Mr Ibrahim Adjei, Editor of The Patriot newspaper, said the paper's vision was to make sure that democracy is nurtured, defended and supported in Ghana to ensure that "the country attain the democracy we all craved for." "We have a political colour but we also have a national colour," he said. Ms Frances Esiam, Managing Editor of The Patriot said the paper would be reflective on what was going on in society. Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo bought the first copy for a GH¢ 1000 cedis; the usual retail price is 70 Ghana Pesewas.