The Inter Party Youth Committee (IPYC) on Tuesday called on the media to be circumspect in their reportage before, during and after Election 2012.

It should ensure that henceforth, time and energy were spent on promoting developmental issues such as health care, education, the economy, sanitation and other matters that would sustain the nation.

Addressing a press conference in Accra, Mr. Ludwig Hlodze, National Chairman of IPYC said the media should be interested in being at the forefront of issues that would help the electorate to make wise decisions and emphasise on publications which would unite the people rather than those that would divide them.

He said as Election 2012 drew closer, there was the need for all including the media to be careful in whatever they publicise and in order to achieve the objective the IPYC had set for itself.

“Our posture and utterances would be geared towards inculcating in our supporters the need for peaceful co-existence, peaceful electioneering and above all peaceful elections,” he added.

He pointed out that IPYC was embarking on a peace project to uphold the prevailing peace in the country and appealed to supporters of the political parties nationwide, to exercise maximum restraint in the heat of the electioneering.

Mr. Hlodze said the media should be at the centre of the peace project and the vehicle on which politicians would ride to send their messages to the public.

“Schools, hospitals, roads, must be built; people must be trained to develop this great nation; investments must be made in the natural resources and the objective as the youth of Ghana is to work to ensure that this country is at par with the fastest developing countries of the world. We can only get to that level when we sustain the peace we have inherited since 1992 and currently prevailing in Ghana.”

Mr. Hlodze said, there must be a strong sense of vigilance by editors of newspapers, online portals, radio and television producers, to report on stories and developments which sought to promote national cohesion, peace and development; rather than sensationalism and incitement which had the propensity to derail efforts to engender peace among parties and their supporters.

He urged religious leaders and civil society organisations to discourage people who preached division in the country.

Mr. Hlodze said trust must be reposed in the security agencies to keep the peace and not encourage any incidence of vandalism and mob justice when disputes arise.**