Media must assist society to achieve growth — Avoka

PAGE 13, NOV 24, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Majority Leader in Parliament, Mr Cletus Avoka, has called for an independent and vibrant media that strives to put the public interest first to assist society to accomplish its development objectives.
He stated that effective collaboration between the arms of government and the media was a sure way to ensure transparent governance that will benefit the people.
Mr Avoka made these comments in a speech he delivered in Accra to inaugurate the West Africa Parliamentary Press Corps (WAPPC).
WAPPC is a collaboration between the Ghana Parliamentary Press Corps and their Nigerian counterparts to bring all reporters covering the legislatures in the sub-region to share ideas and experiences to deepen parliamentary reporting.
Mr Avoka said organising the parliamentary press corps as a professional body to disseminate parliamentary proceedings in any fledgling democracy across the sub-region should be of paramount concern to any stakeholder.
“There is no doubt that a healthy media work enhances education, information and facilitation of community involvement in debates relating to the business of Parliament,” he asserted adding that the formation of WAPPC to champion that was in the right direction and called for its support.
He explained that it was through the reportage of parliamentary proceedings that the public’s ‘right to know’ could be effectively exercised in building an informed democracy across the sub-region.
Mr Avoka admonished those championing the formation of WAPPC not only to be content with the formation alone, but should also endeavour to share information across the sub-region on key parliamentary issues through seminars and exchange programmes to ensure that good governance and democracy were built on a solid foundation.
He advised journalists covering the legislature to listen to the concerns of the public since they could not be expert journalists or experts on the issues they cover unless they knew how the general public experienced what they were covering.
Mr Avoka said fulfilling the desires of the people of West Africa could be achieved through the building of a strong professional relationship based on mutual respect and recognition, which were actors in a working democracy.
He, therefore, called for the study of the Constitution, standing orders, parliamentary practice and procedures of each country within the sub-region thoroughly to ensure that the reportage of journalists covering the legislature could do so within the confines of the law and parliamentary democracy.
“You must also show more responsibility and not allow yourselves to be used by any individual or group to pursue self-agenda,” he said.
He noted that since the long standing watch-dog function of the media was more crucial now than ever, the role of the parliamentary press in making intelligent and unbiased decisions about news and information, was paramount to the functioning of a democratic society.
For his part, the First Deputy Speaker, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, called on journalists not to use the power of their pens to disintegrate the fabric of the society.
He commended Ghana’s Parliamentary Press Corps for ensuring balanced reportage of proceedings of the House adding that since no condition was permanent, politicians should ensure a level playing field to promote the country’s fledgling democracy.
He pledged the support of parliament to the activities of the press corps since to him “the day the corps collapse, parliamentary democracy will also collapse”.
The President of the Ghana Journalist Association, Mr Ransford Tetteh, commended the corps for being very active over the years.
He said it was good that Africa had chosen the path of parliamentary democracy and called on journalist, especially those covering parliaments, to help in nurturing that democratic dispensation.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsuta/Beposo/Kwamang, Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh, who represented the Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, called on the media to work hard to ensure excellence in order to promote the development of the sub-region.
The Dean of the Ghana’s Parliamentary Press Corps, Mr Andrew Edwin Arthur, cautioned journalist not to allow mediocrity to take a better part of them by closing their eyes to the realities of their professional calling.
He said it was in that respect that the formation of WAPPC would strengthen the resolve of parliamentary reporters in the sub-region to adequately strengthen their position to hold governments accountable to their actions through the legislature in their respective countries.