Wa, Dec. 7, GNA - Mr. John Tia Akologu, the Minister of Information, has paid a three-day visit to the Upper West Region to interact with Departments and Agencies under his Ministry. The Minister is also expected to facilitate the region's turn of the "Meet the Press" scheduled for Tuesday. Addressing staff of the Information Services Department, Mr. Tia urged them to step up public education on government policies and programmes across the region to keep the people informed about what government was doing to give Ghanaians better living conditions. He said the staff should not twist government information to suit partisan interests.

"Your mandate is to give government information out to the public and bring the feedback and nothing else more than that," he said. Mr. Benin Issifu, the Acting Regional Information Officer, mentioned the delay in the release of funds, inadequate staff, servicing of the office vans and staff promotion as some of the challenges facing the office. He also appealed for a common uniform for field workers, saying it would help build the image of the Ministry. At the office of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) Mr. Akologu commended the staff for their hard work in making sure that the region was extensively covered despite the numerous challenges they faced. The Minister visited the offices of the Ghanaian Times and the Daily Graphic and expressed satisfaction with the work of the media in the region and urged them to continue to focus their reportage on issues that would bring about unity and development.