The Minister for Regional Reorganization and Development, Dan Kwaku Botwe, has called on the media to be more focused on development-oriented reportage.

He expressed worry over what he described as the media's seeming focus on political discussions and neglecting the prime interest of the public and advised that they should reshape their agenda to promote development.

The Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Okere was speaking at the first Eastern Regional Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards which was on the theme, "Repositioning the Eastern Region for investment and job creation: role of the media" at the weekend in Koforidua.

Dan Botwe noted that even though there seems to be a thin line between pursuing parochial partisan interest and promoting development in the public’s interest, media practitioners should focus on doing what would bring benefits to people within their communities and nation at large.

“We have all been witnesses and we all live in this country. Early morning, we all know what we listen to. We keep on switching our sets from one set to another. We do so because your friend will call and tell you that please go to this station there is some heated debate, someone has been put on the spot so we all go and listen to that,”

“Let us focus on developmental stories. It is always a very difficult thing to do. Does it mean we should always tow what government is saying to promote government agenda? And you will even be lucky when it is said government agenda because they will tell you party agenda and therefore even if the agenda will lead to development, should I be seen as been associated with it. If I do so wont I be seen as been partisan or being biased? And that is what we can all agree out of this particular issue. We can follow a crusade on it and do it. And so I have many professional media personnel, they spend so much time struggling to be in the middle so as not to be seen to be pursuing an agenda that will be seen to be in favour of any political party but I still believe that in all this it is still possible to know what is in the public interest, what will help push our nation forward,” he observed.



While expressing his excitement over the initiative taken by the Eastern GJA, Mr. Botwe pledged to get the caucus of MPs in the Eastern Region to partner the Association to reposition the region for development.

The Minister also urged various stakeholders to support government’s flagship programmes like the 1D1F since it will be beneficial to residents and also attract investments to the region.

“If government has a programme 1D1F, it should not be seen as a partisan programme because distinguished ladies and gentlemen we are not going to have the situation where we say the private sector is the engine of growth but we will not see factories and industries in our districts so that the young men and women who have finished school will be employed in their districts so that we all do not move to Accra. That cannot be seen as a partisan agenda, it should be seen as a national agenda, a developmental agenda and we should all get involved,” Dan Botwe stressed.

The Regional Chairman of the GJA, Maxwell Kudekor, urged his colleague media practitioners to conform to the new paradigm shift by using their platforms to attract investment and jobs.

He also counselled the journalists in the Eastern Region not to be perturbed about being tagged as an anti-government when they write in the interest of the public.

"The traditional practice of 'he said, she said' is giving way to a new paradigm shift and the world won't wait for Eastern journalists to conform. Irrespective of the party in power you will be tagged to be against the government when you start writing about the challenges of society but let's push on," he stressed.



A total of eight journalists and two media houses, Eastern FM and FAWE FM, in the region were awarded at the ceremony.

Ama Takyiwa Ampadu Nyarko and David Kodjo, both of Ghanaian Times received the Best Health and Rural Reporter awards respectively whiles Gilbert Frimpong of the Daily Statesman was adjudged the Best Environmental Reporter of the Year.

For Business reporting category, Candida Dery of GBC Sunrise FM was adjudged winner while Ebenezer Ayeh of UTV emerged best Road Safety Reporter. Kwadwo Amoako Gyampah again received the best Indigenous Newscaster prize.

All the award winners received a plaque and a certificate each as their prizes but the best Business reporter was given an HP laptop donated by Association of Ghana Industries (AGI).

The event was sponsored by Newmont Golden Ridge Limited -Akyem Mines, the Ghana Free Zones Authority, the Ghana Aids Commission and the AGI.