General News of Wednesday, 2 May 2018

Source: starrfmonline.com

Don’t trade your integrity for headlines – Hamid to journalists

Mustapha Hamid, Information Minister Mustapha Hamid, Information Minister

Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid has warned Ghanaian media against reckless reportage stressing that the impact could plunge the country into chaos.

“On this day, take a second look at the power that you will and the responsibility you owe with a view to ensure that you do not sacrifice integrity and the future of our societies for today’s headlines and breaking news reference points,” he entreated Wednesday in his address at the opening ceremony of the world press freedom day 2018.

Away from that, he said the Akufo-Addo government is “going to further deepen democratic governance and empower the citizens” with the passage of the Right to Information Bill into Law.

It has been 22 years since the first Right to Information RTI Bill was drafted under the auspices of the Institute of Economic Affairs, IEA.

Also, it is 16 years since the Executive arm of government in 2002 drafted the first RTI Bill. The draft Executive Bill was subsequently reviewed in 2003, 2005 and 2007 but was never laid in Parliament until February 5, 2010.

The RTI Bill has finally been laid before Parliament by the Deputy Attorney General Joseph Kpemka Dindiok.