Make national development a priority- Asantehene tells media

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11, has asked media practitioners to make national development their priority in the course of their work.



This, he said would help boost the development of the country.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu made the call in Kumasi when the newly elected executive members of the Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) called on him at the Manhyia palace in Kumasi.

The executive, which were led by the Regional Chairman, Mr Samuel Ennin, included, Mr John Yeboah, Secretary, Nana Yaw Osei, Vice Chairman, Mr Enoch Darfa Frimpong, Treasurer, Mr Kofi Asetena, Ex-officio Member and Mr George Ayisi Boateng, Patron.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu urged the media practitioners not to engage in what would promote negative development in the country but to highlight "the finer" aspects of development.

"The pen is mightier than the sword", the Asantehene said and described Journalists as opinion shapers in society and urged them to play that role effectively.

He said Journalists must constantly alert the people on the numerous opportunities for them to exploit.

He noted that if media practitioners concentrated on development oriented issues like health and education it would stem the problems of the society including accidents on roads, which were claiming lives.

The Asantehene said journalists should strive to remain neutral and impartial at all times in dealing with political issues and always ensure that it was only the truth that was published.

He said any bad information a Journalist put in the public domain had the potential to ruin people.

Otumfuo advised Journalists to avoid recklessness in their reportage adding that, it was through such action that some African countries were plunged into wars.

The GJA Executive commended the Asantehene for his appointment as the Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and commended him for the numerous strides the Otumfuo Education Fund had achieved in the past years.

They appealed to the Asantehene to assist the Association with a land in Kumasi to establish a Press Centre to cater for the northern sector of the country.