Media urged to exercise professionalism in reportage this election year

The Deputy Central Regional Minister, Mr Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, has appealed to the media to be patient and be professional in their reportage in order not to endanger the peace the nation is enjoying.

Addressing a parade of school children and voluntary organisations at Saltpond to mark Ghana’s 55th independence anniversary, Mr Quansah, who is the Member of Parliament for Mfantseman West, appealed to the media to come out with stories which could unite the nation but not those which could tear the nation apart.

He said every Ghanaian had been talking about peace before, during and after the 2012 general election and that the media had an important role to play in sustaining the peace the nation was enjoying even more than the politician.

“If a politician makes unsavoury statement to a small gathering, it is the media which blow it to the hearing of the wider population,” he said, and urged them not to publish anything which was not in the interest of the nation.

Mr Quansah said the government was determined to train and to equip the youth with skills not only for sustainable livelihood but also to enable them play meaningful roles in the development of the nation.

He appealed to the youth to take advantage of the Local Enterprise and Skills development Programme (LESDEP) and the Youth Enterprise and Skills Development Centre (YESDEP) to acquire skills.

Mr Quansah appealed to traditional rulers, the clergy and civil societies to get involved in the campaign for peace in the run-up to the December elections.