To that end, he said, it had decided to appoint spokespersons for each of the five Cabinet subcommittees: Legal and Governance, Economy and Finance, Infrastructure, Security and Social Services.

The minister announced the decision at a media encounter in Accra last Friday which was to enable officials of the ministry to interact with the media in a friendly atmosphere and show appreciation to the media for keeping the government on its toes.

Weekly briefings

Mr Abdul-Hamid said there would be weekly media briefings which would enable government officials to offer better explanations on pressing national issues and ensure the free flow of information on government policies, programmes and activities.

He said the new arrangement was agreed upon based on the feedback, suggestions and criticisms the government gathered from the public while assessing its first year in office to improve the governance process and ensure transparency and accountability.

He said the government intended to replicate the media encounter in the other nine regions to afford media practitioners across the country the opportunity to interact and share their thoughts on the governance process.

The minister noted that the media were significant partners who enabled the government to execute its mandate, for which reason it was prudent to engage them at the beginning of the year to share some thoughts that would enhance governance.

Media conference

Mr Abdul-Hamid further announced that a tentative date had been set for next week for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to hold a media conference to mark his first year in office and also update the public on the governance process.

He said every government experienced tough times, particularly in the first year in office, and that the media provided the “baptism of fire” through captivating and probing questions which kept the government alert to deliver on its mandate.

“We have realised that sometimes when an issue crops up or happens, even as government spokespersons it takes a few days for us to gather all the facts around the issue.

“So it will be important for us to have the platform every week to bring the issues together in a coherent narrative and give better illumination on them,” he said.

Free media

“We accept all the criticisms; we’re human and so we’re not perfect. Therefore, we’re going to work to address your concerns in order to make communication better and strengthen the governance process,” Mr Abdul-Hamid added.

He drew the attention of the gathering to a popular liberation aphorism, which states: “The difference between an authoritarian society and free societies is the presence of a free media.”

 He gave an assurance that the government would provide all the necessary information for the media at all times, considering the critical role the media played in sustaining democratic societies.