Set peaceful agenda for 2016 election – Dr Seidu

A Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, Dr Alidu Siedu has charged media practitioners to remain neutral and set an agenda that will promote peace in the run-up to the December general elections.

Dr Siedu noted that the stability and unity of the country could not be built and maintained without the involvement of the media, as an agent of information dissemination.

The senior lecturer made this known at a day’s sensitisation workshop organised for media practitioners in the central region at the Elmina Beach Resort.

He said, the role of the media in the forthcoming election as far as peace, stability and tranquillity were concerned, could not be over-looked.

According to him, the media has a pivotal role to play in Ghana’s quest to add this year’s election to the number of peaceful and successful elections the nation had held since the country returned to civilian rule in 1992.

In view of this, he advised the practitioners to make “setting of agenda” that will bring about peace before, during and after December polls a topmost priority.

He also tasked journalists to be abreast of how post-election violence had devastated some countries on the continent of Africa and let that inform their conscience regarding their pronouncements on air.

“Don’t allow the politicians to come and inflame passions on radio. You must be bold and set the agenda for them and your agenda should be the one that will preach peace,” he posited.

He also appealed to the practitioners to conduct research into pressing issues in the course of their work.

This, he said, would put them in a better position to challenge politicians on matters confronting the economy and other national issues that require data, statistics and in-depth analysis. The workshop was organised by the National Media Commission and sponsored by the UNFDP.

The aim was to sensitise the media on how to promote peace before, during and after the December general elections. It was attended by both electronic and print media practitioners in the region.