Accra, April 23, GNA - The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on Monday inaugurated two separate committees: The Awards Committee and the Awards Planning Committee, for its 12th Awards ceremony, which comes off at the Ghana International Press Centre on August 18.

The Awards Committee is to examine and evaluate the entries of contestants and decide who deserve prizes for their work in 2006, whilst the Awards Planning Committee is expected to plan and organise the event by seeking for prizes for award winners.

The Awards Committee made up of 13 persons with journalistic backgrounds is expected to choose its own Chairman and Secretary, whereas the Awards Planning Committee has Mr Ransford Tetteh, the GJA President as its Chairman.

Mr Tetteh said the inauguration of the two Committees was not only to let the public acknowledge the transparent process that the GJA had adopted but also to showcase the entries received as well as to publicly and officially let the contestants know the members of the two committees.

He said at the close of the receipt of entries in mid April, the GJA secretariat had received a total of 205 entries, adding, "This is nearly twice the entries received for the 11th edition for works in 2005. That attracted a total of 111 entries".

Mr Tetteh said the GJA "will through this special Award ceremony seek to establish the indispensable role that a free and responsible media should play in the next 50 years to inform, educate and entertain the people.

" But above all, hold those in authority accountable to the people, help uphold freedom and justice and promote national development." He said the Ghana @ 50 edition of the Awards would be dedicating to all journalists, past and present, dead and alive, who worked tirelessly to raise standards and bring journalists greater recognition, adding, the awards should be seen as part of the overall effort by the Association at promoting high journalistic standards, by using it as a barometer for measuring periodically, the performance of the media and journalists in particular.

The GJA, he said, salutes all journalists and other media personnel whose sacrifices had led the nation towards its quest for free expression and press freedom.

Mr Tetteh announced that Unilever Ghana had once again offered to sponsor the prize for the Journalist of the Year, whilst Promax Ghana, an internationally affiliated Public Relations firm had agreed to sponsor the Arts and Entertainment Award which was being renamed Tourism/ Culture and Arts/ Entertainment Award.

The members of the Award Committee are Mr Gyan Appenteng, veteran Journalist/ Columnist, Mr Kweku Rockson, acting Director, Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), Mr G.B. K. Owusu, Veteran journalist, Dr Doris Dartey, Communication Consultant/ Educator, Ms Sarah Akrofi-Quarcoo, Lecturer, School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, Mr Francis Sasu, Chief Editor, GTV.

The rest are Mrs Esa Chinnery-Hesse, Maritime Authority and Part-time Journalism Lecturer, Mr Egbert Fabille (Jnr), Editor, The Ghanaian Observer, Mr Kofi Nyantakyi, General Manager, TV 3 Network, Mr Bob Bentil, Ghanaian Times, Mr Gerald Annan-Forson, Photography Consultant and Mrs Jeannette Quacoopome of the Media Foundation for West Africa.

For the Planning Committee they are Mr Kwesi Afriyie Badu, Chief Executive Officer, KAB Governance Consult, Mrs Marain Kyei, also of KAB Governance Consult, Mr Mathias Tibu, GIJ, Nanabayin Dadson, Editor, Graphic Showbiz, Mr Peter Agbeko (Jnr), Consultant in Event Planning, Ms Doris Kuwornu, GTV, Mr Kwami Sefa-Kayi, Peace FM and all the GJA Executives.