Consider Journalists as partners of development, not treat them as riff-raff — Duty bearers told

President of the Northern Region chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr. Abdul Majeed Yakubu has charged duty bearers to view journalists as partners of development.

He urges them to avoid treating journalists as riff-raff.

In an interview with Nurudeen Ibrahim, a journalist in the Northern Region after visiting some state institutions, Mr. Abdul Majeed said, journalists, are critical thinkers who have perfect ideas and suggestions to fast track development.

“Duty bearers should stop treating journalists as riff-raff or those who don't know they're left from right, but rather take us serious,” he stated.

Touching on the Association two days working visit, he expressed satisfaction stating that all their engagement was refreshing and cordial.

According to him, the Association has planned to train journalists in the Savannah, North East and the Greater Northern Region to help build capacities, these he believed would increase professionalism, but was quick to task media owners to also offer in-house training for their personnel.

“We want to ensure that, the reportage of journalists in this part of the country are balanced, accurate and fact checked before it's broadcast into the public domain,” he assures.

According to him, some Heads of the Institutions are unhappy about the bad reportage they receive from some journalists, which the Association will work to avert in the near future.

The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu in a brief address at his office urged the Ghana Journalists Association to educate their members to always double-check their facts before broadcasting news items to the public.

According to him, some journalists have damaged the reputation of several people in society.

The Executives namely, Mr. Yakubu Abdul Majid, Mr. Albert Futukpor, Miss Diana Ngon and Mr. Nelson Adanuti Nyadror were sworn into office by the supervisory Judge of the Tamale High Court, His Lordship Richard Mac Kogyapwah on Friday July, 2022.

Some of the Institutions they visited included the offices of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, Northern Region Police Headquarters, Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), Lands Commission, Road Safety Authority and the office of the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu.