Eastern Regional Minister calls for closer collaboration between journalists and politicians

Koforidua, March 1, GNA- The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Yaw Barimah has called on the media to work closely with politicians to promote national development. He said both politicians and journalists have a duty to improve on the lot of society and not do anything to undermine such a noble role. Mr Barimah made these observations when he interacted with journalists in the Region at Koforidua. He called on the media to act as mirrors through which people holding public office would examine themselves, adding, "it simply means that you can call politicians to order".

Mr Barimah who is also the MP for New Juaben South, noted that the Region was not exerting the kind of influence it deserved in government and underscored the need to fashion out measures to address the anomaly. He also emphasized the need to assess the potential for agro-processing and tourism that abound in the Region to create avenues for job opportunities especially for the youth. Mr Barimah called on all ethnic groups to see themselves as people belonging to one nation "but not as single ethnic group" so that they could develop the Region collectively.

Reacting to the problems hampering the activities of journalists in the Region, he assured them that the Regional Coordinating Council would provide an official vehicle to facilitate the covering of assignments and also solve the accommodation problems facing them. The Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalist Association(GJA), Mr Tom Brentuo pledged the cooperation of his colleagues to work assiduously without fear or favour to promote the interests of the Region.