Media should demand public accountability to promote transparency

Mr Kwasi Afriyie-Badu Chief Executive Officer of KAB Governance Consult, on Friday urged the Ghanaian media to take public accountability serious to help unravel social vices in society and promote transparency.

He noted that the most important role of the media was not to educate, entertain and inform but to demand public accountability as stipulated in Article 162 of the 1992 Constitution.

Mr Afriyie-Badu made the call when addressing the closing session of a three-day review meeting of media trainees in business advocacy under the theme “Using Media To Strengthen Business Advocacy” at Elmina.

Last year, Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in collaboration with BUSAC Fund and KAB Governance Consult trained some journalists to undertake business advocacy to help enhance the growth of the private sector through effective dialogue with the public sector.

The review meeting was attended by 30 Journalists drawn from all parts of the country.

He pointed out that with the emerging signs of malfeasance anytime there was change in government in the country, it behoves on the media to be vigilant in its gate keeping and monitoring role to help check the vices among public officials.

Mr Afriyie-Badu said this would help ensure the prudent use of State and other resources and promote accountability adding, “With the discovery of oil in the country, the media should be proactive to help check the level of corruption associated with countries that have discovered oil.”

Mr Bright Blewu, GJA General Secretary said the training programme had sharpened the skills of beneficiary journalists and was optimistic they would play their advocacy role effectively to facilitate accelerated growth of the private sector.

Dr Esther Ofei-Aboagye, Director of ILGS, said the project had been of immense benefit to small and medium scale enterprises in the country,

She observed that publications by beneficiary journalists could serve as training guide or manual for small and medium scale enterprises and stressed the need for consolidation of networking among the participants.