Let's not sacrifice peace for economic gains - Director

Bolgatanga, May 29, GNA - Alhaji Abdulai Abubakar, the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly Coordinating Director, has urged Media Practitioners not to sacrifice peace for economic gains.

The Municipal Director made the call in Bolgatanga on Wednesday when the Bolgatanga Municipal Security Committee interacted with Media Practitioners in the Region to see how they could chart a path to help maintain peace in the area.

The current chieftaincy problem in the Municipality, coupled with the death of the Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama, necessitated the holding of the meeting.

The Municipal Director stated that as Media Personnel, they had a very crucial role to play in maintaining and sustaining peace in the Municipality and the region as a whole, and admonished them to be mindful in their reportage, in order not to incite people, create acrimony and anarchy.

'Let's all endeavour not to sacrifice peace for economic gains, since that will draw the development progress of the area anti clockwise', Alhaji Abubakar stressed.

The Municipal Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Christian Bortsi, who chaired the meeting, said maintenance and sustenance of peace was a collective responsibility, and impressed upon the Media to play their part very well.

He said, until recent times, the Municipality was noted to be one of the peaceful areas in the country, and said the Committee was doing everything possible to help restore peace in the area.

He impressed upon the Media Practitioners to double-cross their facts very well from authentic sources, such as the Police, before reporting, in order not to cause unnecessary panic and fear.

The Media Practitioners on their part blamed the security agencies, particularly the Police, for refusing to release information before publication, and indicated that such acts gave room for speculation.

They, therefore, urged the Committee to play a key role by ensuring that the security agencies gave them information anytime they needed them, in order to cross-check their facts before publication.

The Media Personnel also called on the Municipal and the Regional Police Command to organize press briefings periodically, to update them on the security situation in the region.

Earlier on, the Committee met representatives of the various Political Parties on the same security issues bordering the Municipality.

GNA