President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will on Friday hold a media encounter to allow journalists in the country interrogate him on key national issues in all sectors of the economy for the year 2019.

It will be his first media encounter for 2019, and fifth since assuming office on January 7, 2017 for a four year term.

Nana Akufo-Addo introduced the media encounter in 2017 and promised to engage the Ghanaian people through the media twice a year.

As has been the case in the previous encounters, the President is expected to address a gathering of selected journalists at the Jubilee House in Accra after which the floor will be opened for them to ask questions.

His vice president Dr Mahammudu Bawumia and some Ministers of State are expected to be at the event which will start from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Criticisms

The media encounter, though lauded by some analysts and governance experts, its approach has been criticised over the years.

The last media encounter by the President in December 2018 was described by the Media Foundation for West Africa as the worst ever because out of the about 70 invited journalists, only 15 were allowed to ask questions.

The Foundation was worried the President took a chunk of the time to deliver a speech which it described as “a rehearsal for his State of the Nation Address.”

Journalists who have participated in the event have also not been spared criticism for their poor quality of questions.

Professor Ransford Gyampo in January last year said most of the questions asked were not good enough to pin the president.

In his view, the questions were “shallow and were not properly researched”, making it easier for the president to deal with them.

“I am sure that if the president goes to Makola [market], he will be able to receive thought-provoking questions on the issues that affect the lives of the people.”