Accra, Nov. 15, GNA - The Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) on Wednesday set a new pace for media operations in Ghana by creating a socio-political platform for international and local experts, academia and journalists to dialogue on governance issues in Africa. The platform dubbed: "Accra Governance Dialogue," and on the general theme "Consolidating Political Stability in Africa For Accelerated Growth," seeks to contribute to the development, entrenchment of democracy and good governance in Ghana, West Africa and Africa as a whole.

The Graphic Communications Group Limited, a leading media organisation in Ghana, seeks to use the Dialogue as a platform to provide for various sections of society to deliberate on governance issues critical to Africa's sustained growth, Mr Berifi Apenteng, the Managing Director, stated in Accra.

Mr Apenteng, who was officially launching the project, explained that it would also serve as a think-tank data base to help to draw attention of governments and relevant institutions and persons to important governance issues underpinning national development in Africa. "Another feature of the Dialogue Platform would be bringing together many experts in the different fields of governance, who would help to formulate workable solutions to the challenges of governance in Africa by utilising the agenda - setting role of the media to promote public debates on governance," he said.

It would develop a common framework to tackle the challenges of development confronting African countries.

Mr Apenteng noted that the media had over the years played very significant roles in the development of Ghana, as had been the case in many other countries in the Sub-Region, stressing "as we approach our golden jubilee independence anniversary, it is important to recall these important roles in the struggle for independence.

"As the leading media organisation in the country, we deem it appropriate to lead in further deepening the contribution of the media in the development of the country and other countries in the Region." In furtherance of our objective, 93Graphic Communications have devoted a number of pages in their newspapers to governance issues, which include news and analysis from Parliament, the Judiciary, political parties and other stakeholders in institutionalising democracy and governance in Ghana and beyond, Mr Apenteng stated.

Mr Kwasi Afriyie-Badu, Chief Executive Officer of KAB Governance Consult, collaborators of the programme, asserted that the media, as the fourth estate of the realm, held the key to constitutional development and sustenance of the democratic dispensation in the country.

"The media's ability to hold, direct and incite the general public's perception and thinking on an issue is very paramount for the survival and promotion of democracy and must be acknowledged by policy makers and used effectively," Mr Afriyie-Badu told the Ghana News Agency after the official launch.

He explained that the media, both print and electronic, should be involved and adopt pragmatic programmes daily aimed at sensitising and educating the general public on the 1992 Constitution and how it affected them.

He, therefore, urged the media to attach much more interest to the Dialogue for the promotion of constitutional awareness, as the survival of democracy was not based only on the conduct of elections. Mr Ibrahim Awal, General Manager in Charge of Marketing and Public Affairs of GCGL, who chaired the launched, called for media collaboration to ensure political stability in Ghana and the Sub-Region. 15 Nov. 06