The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) yesterday inaugurated an 11-member committee to oversee the planning of the 75th anniversary celebration of the Association.
Chaired by a former Director of Radio at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Mr Godwin Avenorgbo, the committee has Marian Kyei, media consultant and private legal practitioner; Kobby Asmah, member of the National Media Commission and former Editor of Graphic; Peter Agbeko, former Head of Public Affairs, Ghana Standards Authority; Ellen Avorgbedor, former Central Regional Director of the GBC, and Maxwell Kudekor, Eastern Regional Chairman of the GJA as members.
The rest are Boahene Asamoah, Editor of Graphic Business, Zambaga Rufai, former Western Regional Secretary of the GJA; Alice Tettey, Central Regional Manager of the Ghana News Agency and former Central Regional Chairperson of the GJA; Dr Etse Sikanku, Lecturer at the University of Media, Arts and Communication, and Mathias Tibu, former Vice President of the GJA.
The Director General of GBC, Prof Amin Alhassan, who also inaugurated the committee entreated corporate Ghana to support the 75th anniversary of the GJA saying, the GJA needed resources to celebrate the 75th anniversary to make a statement on the contribution of journalism to the development of Ghana.
Prof Alhassan said if there was one institution in the country that had contributed immensely to the formation of Ghana, then it was journalism.
“We did not win Ghana through the armed forces, the police, neither the executive nor it was a bunch of MPS who brought Ghana into being. Ghana came into being through the pen of the journalists,” he stated.
The President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, said the committee was expected to plan activities for the 75th anniversary across the country, beginning from March to the climax in September at this year’s GJA Media Awards including development of the theme and sub-themes for the programme.
He said the activities would include a major event on August 15, which would mark the 75th birthday of the GJA.
Mr Dwumfour said the National Executive was grateful to the chairman and members of the committee for accepting to serve the GJA in that capacity.
“We all as an Association have every reason to be happy for this day but it must be emphasised that the journey has not been a smooth one. It has been fraught with intense oppression against the media from past dictatorial and oppressive governments leading to the prosecution and detention of journalists who dared to give a voice to the voiceless,” he stated.
The GJA President entreated journalists and media practitioners to be united and speak with one voice to promote the journalism profession, saying “That the occasion of the GJA’s 75th anniversary should be an occasion for journalists to see ourselves as one people and marshal efforts to consolidate the gains made devoid of lies but upholding truth and diligence.”
Mr Avenorgbo in his remarks thanked the GJA for the confidence reposed in them.
He pledged that the committee would work with the unity of purpose to ensure the successful organisation of the 75th anniversary of the GJA.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE