Accra (Greater Accra) 23 June '99

Parliament on Tuesday added its voice to the call on journalists to guard against publications that can divide rather than unite Ghanaians.

The call followed a statement made by Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper East Regional Minister, drawing the House's attention to a recent publication in the June four - 10 edition of the "Weekend Statesman", in which the writer attacked the people of Lambussie.

Alhaji Sulemana, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sissala regretted that in the said article captioned "Hunger in Lambussie", the writer made derogatory comments about the people of Lambussie, which in his view, do not augur well for national integration.

He said one issue of concern that the Statesman's correspondent discussed in his report bordered extensively on the alleged fact that, notwithstanding, the 18 years rule of the PNDC and NDC governments, there was abject poverty in the Lambussie area.

The Regional Minister did not understand the basis of assessment that the writer used to arrive at that conclusion, and pointed out that any critical dissection of the report in question would uncover that the whole piece of "misinformation and spurious journalism was predicated on generalisations and lacked verifiable facts".

For example, he said, pito drinking and tobacco smoking although have their own hazardous effects on the health of people, in his view, they are habits that are cultivated irrespective of the user's financial, social, ethnic or political standing.

For this reason, Alhaji Sulemana posed the question whether the Statesman's correspondent by his report is saying that all people, who are patrons of alcohol and tobacco are the poorest in society.

Alhaji Sulemana stated that drinking of palm wine and other local alcoholic stuff alongside smoking of tobacco go on in virtually every community in the country, and, therefore, debunked the derogatory and offensive manner in which the writer associated the people of Lambussie with pito drinking and tobacco smoking.

The Regional Minister also dismissed another issue raised by the writer that farming is virtually non-existent in the area and said it is because of the diligence of the people that is why the area can indisputably be described as the "Food basket of the Upper West Region".

On the use of walking sticks by the people, Alhaji Sulemana indicated that this has no bearing on the age of the users as claimed by the writer.

He explained that in most Northern communities, walking sticks constitute part of men's dressing and more importantly, they are the companions to men in the traditional sense.

"This is the more reason why the correspondent should have been investigated and related his findings to the cultural practices of the people.

In this way, his observation would have secured some props instead of the way they hanged in the air".

Alhaji Sulemana said he was surprised that the correspondent refused to see the quantum and quality of development that has taken place in the Lambussie constituency.

More motorable roads, schools, health facilities and other social infrastructure, have been provided including the extension of electricity to some of the communities.

Members, who associated themselves with the statement condemned the article clearly and urged journalists not to hide behind their profession to foment trouble among Ghanaians.

Rather, they said, media personnel, as well as all Ghanaians should look beyond ethnicity, put their political affiliations behind them and place the nation's welfare and progress over and above their parochial interests.

Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, NPP-Gukpegu/Sabongida, said sentiments as expressed in the article in question, can tear the nation apart.

He, therefore, urged Ghanaians to discard such publications and work towards a single united country.

"Let us not sow seeds of discord and discontent, whose results we cannot reap".

Mr A. S. K. Bagbin, NDC-Nadowli North, said the article is in a bad taste, and its language shows disrespect to the good people of Lambussie.

Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, NPP-Offinso, North, said it was rather the NDC government and not the people of Lambussie that the article should have lambasted.

This, he said, is because the North has not seen any meaningful development over the last two decades.

Mr John Dramani Mahama, Minister of Communications and MP for Bole stated that such articles do not unite the good people of this country and therefore, reminded the private media that they have a crucial role to play in ensuring balance and fairness in their reporting as is expected of their counterparts in the state-owned media.