Madam Paulina Patience Abayege, the Upper East Regional Minister, on Wednesday called on members of the Regional Branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to propagate the good image of the region in their news reportage.
She said the Region was endowed with natural resources and had beautiful fabrics and “fugu” (smocks), locally produced fruit juices and baskets, tourist’s sites, leather wears among others that Journalists could report on to sell the Region.
“We have a Region with beautiful stories and we have the terrible ones, if we want people to buy our Region, we must sell the beautiful stories. I am not disputing that we have challenges,” she noted.
The Minister conceded that the Region was faced with challenges such as bad road network, lack of ambulances and some deplorable health facilities, and said in spite of the challenges; it was incumbent on Journalists to concentrate on positive stories in order to portray the Region.
Madam Abayege who is the immediate past Ambassador to Italy, made the call when the Regional Branch of the GJA led by its Chairman, Mr Eric Kwadjo Amoh, paid a courtesy call on her to formally welcome her to the Region.
She said it was her duty as a Regional Minister to ensure that the Region was placed on a high pedestal to attract investors and tourists, adding that “I cannot do that alone; I will need the media to help me do that. We need to sell the Region so high.”
Mr Amoh on his part said the role of the media in nation building could not be underestimated, because the media played vital a role in the development agenda of every country, and urged the Minister to collaborate with the GJA in the discharge of her duty in the region.
He appealed to the Minister to assist the GJA in the Region to furnish a newly acquired office space to enable it execute its mandate as an Association and mouthpiece of the people.
The Chairman cautioned Journalists in the Region to be circumspect in their reportage because negative and sensational stories had the tendency to retard development and instigate trouble for Journalists and media outlets.
Mr Amoh thanked the Minister who pledged to support the GJA in its activities in ensuring that it discharged its primary role to inform, educate and entertain.
The Minister pledged to support the GJA with GHC2,000 as part of her contribution towards rehabilitation and furnishing of the Association’s new office.