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Showing posts from January, 2021

Ghanaians Urged To Support Government For Successful Reopening Of Schools

  President Akufo-Addo last Sunday, announced the reopening of schools after being closed in March last year to avoid the spread of Coronavirus. As per the announcement, Kindergarten, Primary and Junior High School students in both private and public schools will return to the classroom from January 15. Furthermore, Senior High School students, except those in SHS 1, will return to school on January 18, 2021. He further stated that all SHS 1 students would start classes on March 10, 2021, while students in universities and other tertiary institutions will be in school from January 9. According to President Akufo-Addo, during his 21st national update on COVID-19, the decision to reopen schools resulted from extensive and detailed consultations with all stakeholders in the health and educational sectors. The announcement has generated debate among people with more divergent views. While many deem the reopening as long overdue, others have expressed the view that it is premature as the pa

Press Freedom And Protecting The Reputation Of Journalism

  The Media reflects society and depict what its members want to hear, listen to, read or view. Its role as the voice of the people cannot, therefore, be downplayed, since information dissemination plays a significant role in society’s progress. Qualitative and independent media impact positively because the role they play is a critical development tool in governance, economic and social realms as well as fighting corruption. In providing accurate and timely information for the allocation of resources efficiently; the media platforms help citizens’ participation in decisions making to shape their lives. There is no doubt that freedom of expression and the right to information have been really boosted with the increasing participation of the media of all kinds. Indeed, the increasing role of the media in helping to sustain participatory democracy in the post-Independence era, particularly of developing economies, has been enhanced by having unfettered access to information. In fact, fre

Does Ghana Need COVID-19 Vaccines?

  Indeed the year 2020 will go down in record as the year the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) swept through, shook and brought on its knees the economies of the world after the Spanish Flu pandemic a century ago. What seemed to be a local issue in Wuhan, China took the world by surprise and hit hard when no preparations were put in place and became the main news headline in every News broadcast throughout the world. At least for once, the world stopped monitoring the stock exchange and focused on Coronavirus case count. The Western World; the ‘metropolis of modern-day civilization’ has so far been the worse hit and the so-called sophistication in modern medicine and technology hasn’t helped much as hundreds of thousands have died already as a result- so unfortunate. Condolence to families and everyone that lost a loved one to the deadly Corona Virus. On the contrary, Africa where the pandemic was predicted to ‘kill’ so much that there will be no graves for burial is, in reality, the le

The Impending Presidential Election Petition by NDC

  Member of Parliament for South Dayi-Rockson Nelson Darfeamekpor has revealed that the NDC is set to file a petition at the Supreme Court to challenge the declaration of President Akuffo Addo as the winner of the December 7 presidential election. This revelation is good news for Ghana, which is touted as a beacon of democracy in Africa. The filing of the election petition is a signal to the global community that the NDC believes in due process and will also get the assurance that Ghanaians are firmly committed to keeping the much-cherished peace and stability. Indeed Ghana’s peace and stability portray the country as an attractive destination for foreign investment and tourism. In the impending election petition, NDC will be asking the supreme court to declare that president Akuffo-Addo has not been vividly elected, in addition to other serious reliefs such as praying the court to declare the NDC flagbearer, John Mahama, as the duly elected candidate, a rerun of the presidential elect

Let’s Remain Calm After The December Election

  Ghana the first nation to gain independence in Africa, South Sahara is considered worldwide as a peaceful nation. However, happenings after the just-ended election on 7th December seem to be giving Ghana a different outlook. After the polls which gave the NPP and NDC almost equal number of MPs in parliament with President Nana Addo being declared winner of the presidential poll, a number of towns across the country are being turned into battlegrounds with youth groups going on a rampage to attack some MPs DCE’s destroying properties and threatening to kill people. This is not what happens after polls since the inception of the 4th Republic in 1992. The activity of the wayward groups is considered by many as unghanaian. Indeed since the inception of the fourth Republic Ghana has not witnessed ugly scenes such as this after presidential and parliamentary polls. We must make a move to put a stop to it, otherwise it would affect our reputation as a peaceful nation. Even though the police

Ghanaians Urged To Maintain Peace After 2020 General Election

  Ghana went on its knees before God for peaceful elections this year so that the country can continue to develop with improved standard of living for the citizens. Thankfully, December 7 had come and gone. One critical period after the election is the declaration of results and the acceptance by the competing parties. It’s a crucial period that needs to be managed well to ensure that all parties are on one page for the betterment of Ghana. It is imperative to call the attention of all citizens, especially the youth to guard jealously the peace, and national cohesion the country enjoys. The youth are the hope of Ghana’s future. Therefore they should not allow self-seeking politicians to misdirect their energies into destructive activities which will not promote a better tomorrow for them. The country is looking up to our enterprising youth to be creative and use innovative ideas for national advancement. By the grace of God, Ghana has held successful elections since 1992 with the usher

The Gateway For Authentic Election Coverage

  Politics provides a great deal of natural content for television news programming. During political campaigns and elections, national networks, as well as many private stations, devote substantial amount of time in covering these activities. Elections constitute a basic challenge to the media, putting its impartiality and objectivity to the test. The task of the media, especially national media outlets, is not and should not function as a mouthpiece for the ruling party or particular candidate. Its basic role is to enlighten and educate the public and act as a neutral and objective platform to accommodate all views. Public Service Broadcasting was founded on a belief that still holds true in most of the world: the private sector alone cannot guarantee pluralism in broadcasting. The trouble is that public media have largely failed to do that too. In many countries, the advent of private broadcasting has made governments even more determined to cling onto editorial control of the publi

Gatekeeping Role Of Media During Elections

  Ghana’s democratic credentials as the beacon of hope for Africa are without question. This enviable accolade bestowed on the West African Country largely stems from our record of successfully conducting seven successive elections since the return to Constitutional rule in 1992. As Ghanaians, we often take pride in our recognition as the torch bearers of democracy in Africa. We are always quick to point to the peaceful transitions which saw power beautifully alternating between the NDC and the NPP. While this feat is mostly attributed to the peaceful nature of Ghanaians, we tend to lose cognizance of other equally important factors that have contributed to our largely smooth voyage to the very pinnacle of democracy. Having said that, one critical cog which has helped the smooth running of Ghana’s democratic machine is the solid foundation laid by the framers of the 1992 Constitution particularly in the area of media freedom. Indeed, the Fourth Republican Constitution is regarded as th