Bolgatanga, Oct 8, GNA - Mr Mark Woyongo, the Upper East Regional Minister, told journalists on Friday that they had a crucial role to play in bringing development to the three northern regions. He appealed to journalists in the Upper East Region to focus more attention on reporting on issues that would bring about development instead of concentrating on sensational reportage that could undermine the development of the region.

The Regional Minister said this when the Upper East Branch of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) paid a courtesy call on him to formally inform him that the GJA in the Region had been able to produce a national award winner.

Mr Samuel Akapule of Ghana News Agency, Bolgatanga office, was adjudged the best in Rural Reporting for 2009 during the 15th Annual GJA Award held in Accra on August 25. Mr Woyongo said as a deprived region, it needed the media to report on issues that would help promote peace and unity and to also highlight the potentials of the Region.

He commended the award winner for his hard work and appealed to his colleagues to emulate him by also reporting on issues that would bring about development.

Mr Woyongo said the Tomato Glut story that won the award actually drew his attention and he informed Vice President John Dramani Mahama about it.

This made the government to buy the tomatoes from the farmers. He said a solution had been found for the problem by way of rehabilitation of the tomato factory that can now buy the produce from the farers.

Mr Woyongo said the factory would also buy tomato from neighbouring countries this season since the tomatoes produced in the Region would not be enough to feed the factory.

He said plans were also in place to add value to certain crops such as pepper, water melon and other fruits. The Regional GJA President, Mr Erick Amoh, assured the Minister that the journalists in the Region would work hard to help promote development in the area.