General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong (JFK), has advised journalists and media practitioners to prioritize maintaining peace in the country ahead of the 2024 election.
He emphasized that the media has the power to either build or destroy the nation, urging practitioners to carefully filter their stories and media content to avoid stirring tensions, inciting violence, or disrupting national peace and stability.
Mr Frimpong reiterated the NPP’s commitment to media freedom and ensuring a violence-free general election. He urged the media to be cautious in their reporting to prevent unnecessary tensions.
Mr Frimpong gave this advice during his address at the Ahafo Media Conference held in Goaso, Ahafo Region.
The conference, organized by a group of media practitioners, focused on the theme “Development of the Ahafo Region: The Role of Media” and was attended by 45 journalists and media practitioners from the region.
Mr Frimpong assured that the NPP would not take any action to destabilize the country and derail the government’s achievements. He expressed confidence in the NPP’s flagbearer, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to lead the party to victory in the next general election due to the outstanding performance and achievements of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government.
“In fact, whatever the majority of the Ghanaian voting population would say or decide, we are ready to accept, when they go to the ballot,” he stressed.
Mr. Frimpong emphasized the media’s role in deepening national peace and social cohesion, noting that peace is essential for the country’s anticipated development. He highlighted the NPP’s commitment to promoting media freedom, citing the repeal of the criminal libel law by former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s government as an example of the party’s efforts in this regard.
He credited the repeal of the criminal libel law for contributing significantly to the growth and development of the media, attributing the achievement to former President Kufuor and successive NPP administrations.
Mr. George Yaw Boakye, the Ahafo Regional Minister, highlighted the government’s achievements in the region, including improvements in road networks and physical infrastructure development in health and education. He commended the media for promoting social and poverty intervention policies and programs and urged them to also highlight the region’s economic potential.
Mr. Boakye emphasized the region’s economic prospects and called on the media to showcase these potentials to attract both foreign and local investors. He emphasized that it was the collective responsibility of the media to promote the region’s economic prospects locally and internationally.