They should pursue accuracy, fairness and circumspection invariably while maintaining high standards of professionalism.
Mr. Jamal gave the advice at Cape Coast when he met journalists and other media practitioners as part of his nationwide tour to promote a new project to brand Ghana and ensure the free flow of information between them and the government.
The visit was also to foster rapport between the government and journalists to make information flow more accessible to all.
He said President John Evans Atta Mills had brought a paradigm shift in governance in the sense that it would follow the due legal process other than to be vindictive to their opponents.
The Deputy Minister said this was in view of how successive governments had dealt with their opponents and insisted: “We are not interested in persecutions”.
Mr. Jamal said the Mills Administration would not condone corrupt practices but rather follow the due process to deal with such issues and other matters that require legal attention.
He said the two years of the Mills’ government had been the best so far in the country since Nkrumah with over 1,000 school projects under construction across the country.
Furthermore, the cedi had been stabilized while inflation had been cut down consistently for a long period resulting in the single digit inflation, he said.
Mr. Jamal said rice importation had also been cut down considerably, adding that, Ghana has been cited as a blooming democracy by the international community.
He however, expressed concern about the lack of decorum on the airwaves because the trading of insults and insinuations could affect Ghana’s image.
He, therefore, reminded journalists that they are catalysts for development and not crisis, therefore, they should strive to keep the country together through their activities.
The President, he said, had received honours for his peaceful disposition, humility and honesty and added that his government welcomed constructive criticisms that would ensure development for the country.
Earlier on Mr. Jamal during an interaction with the staff of the Information Service Department (ISD), and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives in the Region, noted that the core business of the ISD was to disseminate information from government to the public and bring feed back to it.
He emphasized that the only opinion of ISD should be that of the government and as much as possible they should work closely and tirelessly with MMDA’s irrespective of their political affiliation.
Mr. Jamal said the responsibility of ISD was that it should work professionally to promote the activities of the government.
He advised MMDA’s to furnish the ISD’s with support equipment to make them more efficient.
Mr. Jamal said the government was coming up with a national portal which would contain the data base of all districts in the country, to increase the country’s investment potentials.
Mr. David Appiah-Twum, Regional Information Officer, for his part, highlighted some of the challenges facing the ISD as irregular servicing of cinema vans, inadequate supply of equipment, break down of computers and public address equipment.
He gave an assurance that the ISD would work effortlessly to ensure the achievement of the goals of the department as well as the Better Ghana Agenda despite the set backs. Continued…
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