Dr Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, has reminded journalists to be guided by the national interest in the performance of their job.

He said they needed to be more circumspect and maintain high standards of professionalism to protect the country’s image and peace.

Dr Agyemang-Mensah said this when speaking at a press soiree organized by the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) in Kumasi.

He urged them to remain neutral, objective and accurate in their reports so as to be counted among the major stakeholders of the nation’s development.

Dr Agyemang-Mensah praised the media for its significant contribution to the growth of society and used the occasion to review the socio-economic progress brought to the region over the last four years.

Ashanti, he said, saw significant improvement of infrastructure, particularly in the areas of health and education saying a total of about GH¢170 million was spent on 1,127 education and health projects and programmes.

He said an additional GH¢35 million went into water, sanitation, electrification and market development and this is besides GH¢187,597,033.22 used to finance eight major urban road projects, including the construction of a footbridge at Adum, which was part of the Asafo Market UTC interchange, reconstruction of Kejetia-Abuakwa road project and maintenance of other roads in the Kumasi Metropolis.

Dr Agyemang-Mensah said the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) spent over GH¢45,253,481.27 on some major roads in the region.