Two new GNA Board Members officially inaugurated

Accra, March 30, GNA - The Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Wednesday had its full complement of Board of Directors with the inauguration of two more members.

They are Mrs Gina Blay, Managing Editor of Daily Guide and President of the Private Newspapers and Publishers Association of Ghana, and Mrs Agartha Gaisie-Nketiah of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning Responsible for the Implementation of the Three Financial Administration Laws.


The National Media Commission (NMC), which has oversight responsibility for the GNA, appointed Mrs Blay to the Board in November 2003 after a former board member, Dr Audrey Gadzekpo of the School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, declined to continue to serve a second term.


Though Mrs Blay has since then been actively participating in the Board's deliberations, she had to wait until the appointment of a new member to be officially inducted into office.


The appointment of Mrs Gaisie-Nketiah became necessary after the death of a former board member, Dr Joshua Awindor, in December 2003. The other members of the Board are Mr Rex Owusu-Ansah, Chairman, Dr A.B.K. Anane, Nanayaa Tina Owusu-Prempeh (Mrs), Mr Musa Abdulai, and Mr Robert Kafui Johnson, General Manager.


Mr Kingsford Amoah, Acting Chairman of the NMC and a former member of the GNA Board of Directors, who presided, said the GNA was the only institution of its kind in an era of political dispensation with a unique mandate to promote democracy, national unity and cohesion. He noted that the GNA had been and was still facing difficulties in its operations and that it was good the new members were coming in to impart their expertise towards the running of the Agency.

Mr Amoah said the Commission was entrusting the superintendence of the continuing effectiveness and profitability of the GNA into their hands and expressed the hope that they would apply their energies to the task before them.


Mr Amoah urged them to join forces with their colleagues on the board and management staff to help resolve problems confronting the Agency.


Mrs Blay pledged to continue to offer her services towards the advancement of the GNA to the best of her ability.


Mrs Gaisie-Nketiah said, due to the advances in modern technology, the institution in the past few years was facing a challenge in maintaining its position as the topmost source of news.


"Our greatest challenge is to work to improve on our strategy assiduously and take the necessary steps to enhance our influence and relevance as a top news agency.

"Perhaps we can shift our focus to finding innovative ways to change the character of news in the media to foster development and national unity," she stated.


This, she noted, would remain the greatest challenge of the Agency and expressed the belief that developing a loving working relationship between the Board, Management and Staff would enable them to overcome the challenge.


Mrs Gaisie-Nketiah observed that a well-motivated staff equipped with the right set of tools and the requisite creativity would greatly influence newsgathering and news dissemination and the needed attitudinal and behavioural changes in an emerging democracy.


Mrs Rose Fynn, Member of the NMC, Mr Mike Badzie, Executive Secretary, Mr Joseph E. T. Dottey, Deputy Executive Secretary (Finance and Administration), Mr Alex Bannerman, Deputy Executive Secretary Operations), all of the NMC as well as management staff of the GNA attended the ceremony.