Brong Ahafo RCC interacts with the Media

Sunyani (B/A), Dec. 28, GNA - The Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, Nana Kwadwo Seinti on Monday said it was not the responsibility of the Regional Co-ordinating Council to provide means of transport to members of the Press to cover official assignments.

"It has not been in the budget of the RCC to purchase means of transport for the press", he said.

Nana Seinti was reacting to a complaint by a journalist on the difficulties that media practitioners encountered in the coverage of official events like visits to the region by President Kufuor and Vice president Mahama, at an end-of-year party organised by the RCC.

Mr Simon Kewura of the Chronicle complained that the "no-vehicle for the press" syndrome prevented the majority of the press in the region from covering such important assignments and expressed the hope that the new term of the NPP government would see a change in this situation.

Nana Seinti added that since the press houses were operating for profit, it was incumbent upon them to arrange for their own means of transport to follow and covers such visits.

Turning to the general development of Brong-Ahafo in particular and Ghana as a whole, Nana Seinti said with the elections now over there was the need for the people to unite and help accelerate the rapid socio-economic advancement of the region.

The conduct of peaceful elections is a credit that should go to all Ghanaians and not to the government alone, the Regional Minister said and commended a Sunyani-based Space FM for its unique way of packaging its programmes to project the region.

He called on other FM stations in the region to emulate Space FM and let the activities of the region go wider.

Nana Seinti asked radio stations not to misconstrue his inability to call at the stations to talk on issues to mean otherwise but should know that as the political head of the region he was virtually always occupied with equally important issues.

He said the Government would continue to play its part in nation building through venture capital administration, whereby individual businessmen and women would be encouraged to assist in the nation's socio-economic development.

"In our quest to see the nation developed, Ghanaians should expect the Government to take difficult decisions to achieve what the nation needs", Nana Seinti said.

The Regional Minister advised the media to be abreast with the manifesto of the NPP to serve as a guide in their criticisms while helping the government to advance its cherished cause. He said in as much as his outfit would not do anything to gag any member of the press in the region, the media should be constructive in their criticisms.

Mr. Charles Koomson, Brong Ahafo Regional Manager of Ghana News Agency and Vice Chairman of the regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association entreated his colleagues to be very careful in their presentation and decipher the truth from falsehood.

"We are supposed to be knowledgeable and well informed enough to be able to adequately educate and inform the populace about local, national and international issues", he added. 28 Dec. 04