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| GNA Urged To Reverse Bad Image Of Africa |
1/18/2007 |
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The Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr Paul Adu-Gyamfi, has tasked the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to lead the crusade to reverse the image of Africa on the international scene.
He said the negative reportage about Africa, such as children scavenging for survival in a disease-prone environment only known for war, conflicts and poverty which the media in Europe and North America carried, had adversely affected investments on the continent.
Story By Anita Annoh
At the inauguration of the board of directors of the GNA in Accra yesterday, the chairman of the NMC noted that "African initiatives in business, industry, health and governance are rarely heard of so anybody in search of solutions look not to Africa".
Mr Adu-Gyamfi indicated that the negative trend was reversible if the news agencies featured local stories about the country in the right context and added that there was the need for a news agency which would showcase Ghana’s decade-old democracy with buds of hope and anticipation.
He urged the agency to take advantage of the Ghana @ 50 celebrations to showcase stories which told the wonderful story of the "golden nation on the coastline of West Africa".
He said the late Dr Kwame Nkrumah envisioned that the GNA would lead the Pan-Africanist struggle and champion the unity of the country.
The General Manager of the GNA, Nana Appau Duah, who announced that the agency would celebrate its golden jubilee on the eve of Ghana''s Independence, indicated that the agency was beset with many problems.
"The GNA has seen a chequered history throughout its 50 years of existence. It has been buffeted by currents of deprivation," he said.
He noted that the fate of the agency was in the hands of the new board, adding that the its performance would be judged by Ghanaians.
The Chairman of the board, Nana Rex Owusu-Ansah, thanked the NMC and the government for renewing the board''s mandate and pledged its continuous commitment to the GNA.
He outlined some of the problems as inadequate financial resources, the inability to replace obsolete technology and equipment, as well as the inability to attract and retain experienced and professional staff .
He pointed out that although the board and management had drawn up a strategic medium-term plan to help increase the revenue-generating capacity of the agency, it would be difficult to implement it in the face of the problems which the agency was experiencing.
Other members of the board are Dr Akuamoah Anane, Mr Abdulai Musah, Mrs Gina Blay, Mrs Agartha Gaisey Nketia, Dr Kofi Oti Adinkrah and Nana Appau-Duah, the General Manager of the GNA
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