Accra, Feb. 14, GNA - Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Information and National Orientation, on Wednesday unveiled the Ghana News Agency's (GNA) plaque to launch its 50th anniversary and called on management to marshal every effort to make the agency relevant in today's information technology age.

"The time has come for us to review GNA's performance and ensure that the tools which are necessary to make it relevant to its dreams and aspirations are acquired to better position the agency in technological advancement," he said.

Recalling Dr Nkrumah's aim for the GNA, Mr Bartels said: "GNA was a tool set up by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah a day before Ghana's independence to tell Africa's story its own way."

He said prior to its establishment, other world news agencies, such as Reuters, told Africa's story from their own colonial perspectives, which made the emergence of GNA relevant, both in its aims and functions to the continent of Africa.

Mr Bartels expressed faith in the Board and Management of GNA and said he was optimistic that they would work to reshape the Agency towards the future and make its dreams a reality.

Nana Appau Duah, General Manager of GNA, said the launch of the celebration would reflect on the past and the future of the agency to re-brand GNA by showcasing its relevance to the whole world. He said throughout the celebrations, "We shall tell the GNA story, how we began, the way we are now and our confident and hopeful journey into the future."

Nana Duah said on March 5, 2007, which is GNA's birthday, the Agency would trumpet its significance to the nation's development by painting vivid and pleasant memories of the Agency.

"As we celebrate, it will not be happiness, cheers, pomp and circumstance only, but a lot will be said and programmes would be drawn for the future development of the Agency," the General Manager said. The celebration is under the theme: 93Retooling GNA to Make it as Relevant as it was in the Beginning".

Activities earmarked include, photo and equipment exhibition showing what the Agency had gone through, an anniversary lecture, documentary on GNA, dinner and awards night and a thanksgiving service.