Nine journalists shortlisted for National Road Safety Awards

Joy Fm's Francisca Kakra Forson

The National Road Safety Awards Planning Committee has shortlisted some nine journalists for the media category of the annual National Road Safety Awards slated for Thursday October 4.

According to the Committee, it received 46 entries from twenty journalists across the country out of which the nine were short-listed for three awards.

This year's event is on the theme 'Sustainable road transport system- the role of Road Safety”.

According to a statement issued by the Planning Committee, there will also be recognition for some media institutions and personalities for their advocacy for best road safety practices over the years.

The shortlisted journalists are; Anthony Bells Kafui Kanyi, GNA; Samuel Hinneh, Daily Dispatch; Geoffrey Buta, Ghanaian Times; Issah Shaibu, Unique Fm; Umaru Sanda Amadu, Citi Fm;Francisca Kakra Forson, Joy fm; Diana Forson, Ghana Television; Mavis Obeng Mensah, Ghana Television and Narkwor Kwabla,TV3.

These journalists will be competing three awards categories; Road Safety Reporting in Print, Radio and Television categories. The select committee in arriving at the shortlist considered entries that demonstrated high level initiative, accuracy and relevance to the National Road Safety Strategy III and the National Road Safety Action Plans.

According to Ing. Mrs. May Obiri-Yeboah, Chairperson of the Awards Committee “the focus on individual journalists seems to have excited patronage. We consider the media as a very critical stakeholder to demand accountability from the road safety implementing agencies in order to meet the goals of reducing road traffic casualties by 50% by the year 2020”

The awards scheduled for the forecourt of the State House is also aimed at recognizing the efforts of freight and commercial passenger transport unions and organizations that have raised the profile of road safety in their operations over the years.

The prize package for the winners of the media category include a training programme in Road Safety and Traffic Management, organized by the Department of Civil Engineering, KNUST in collaboration with the India Institute of Technology, Madras, and Tablet phones among others.

The 3rd National Road Safety Awards is organized by the National Road Safety Commission with support from Ghacem/Heidelberg cement group, Promasidor Ghana Limited, Shell Ghana, Toyota Ghana Limited, Total Ghana Limited, BNO international, StandBay Limited, National Drivers Academy, Freight Links Logistics, Global Haulage Company Limited, Voltic Water, Indomie Noodles, Road Safety Management Services Limited.