General News of Friday, 31 May 2019
Source: Graphic.com.gh
2019-05-31
Jean Mensa (5th left) and other Commission members with GJA executives after the visit
The Electoral Commission (EC) has so far visited five media houses and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) as part of the commission’s ongoing tour to solicit the support of key stakeholders ahead of its various impending elections.
The tour, which began last week, had seen the Commission visit the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), the Multimedia Group of Companies, Despite Group of Companies, Daily Guide Network (DGN) and Citi FM.
The team from the EC was led by its Chairperson, Mrs Jean Mensa and her two deputies—Dr Bossman Eric Asare and Mr Samuel Tettey.
GJA meeting
At the GJA meeting, Mrs Mensa stressed the need for the media to help the Commission explain some of its electoral procedure to the public instead of attempting to “sensationalise information”.
She said more often than not, the EC got the public to vilify them because of the way certain media houses “go out with their reportage”.
Ms Mensa said the commission would never indulge in anything that might cast a snare on the reputation of its officers or the commissioners let alone allow any form of doubt to hover around their operations.
“There is nothing about the Commission that has been kept a secret. Everything regarding the various electoral processes has been opened to the public,” she said.
For his part, the President of the GJA, Mr Affail Monney, assured the Commission that the institution would do well to ensure that journalists played their role in the nation’s development.
He said the institution was ready to foster a strong partnership with the EC to ensure that the upcoming elections would receive the highest support from journalists.
Mr Monney also called on the Commission to make their communication doors opened all the time to pave the way for journalists to access the right information.
Rationale behind the tour
Earlier at the various media houses visited, the EC chairperson explained to the management that the Commission had decided to embark on the tour to foster strong partnership with key institutions ahead of its various elections.
Mrs Mensa said the Commission considered the media houses as major partners in its quest to roll out the various election reforms to the public.
She also said the purpose of the tour was to recount some of the operations the Commission had undertaken since she took over the leadership of the EC about 10 months ago.
