Story: Abdul Aziz
THE Ministry of Information and National Orientation is working to ensure that three bills aimed at providing the conducive environment to entrench the freedoms of the media and the citizenry are passed into laws.
They are the National Broadcasting Bill, the Right to Information Bill and the Development and Film Classifications Bill. The outgoing Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mrs Oboshie Sai Cofie, gave the assurance in Accra yesterday at a ceremony to mark World Press Freedom Day.
She said the three bills, in conjunction with corruption-fighting laws that had been put in place over the past few years, clearly showed that the nation was moving positively towards a more disciplined society.
She said since assuming office, the government had worked hard at establishing an open and healthy relationship with the media, saying that the necessary enabling environment had been created, with all shades of opinion being freely expressed in the media, without fear of reprisal and intimidation.
She said the government had not regretted repealing the Criminal Libel Law because of its belief that for the country to continue to develop and grow, transparency and accountability, good governance, productivity, dedication and discipline ought to be ensured at all times.
She explained that the government held those principles dear and would do everything to uphold and defend them.
She said the government recognised that a nation in which a free press and the freedom of expression were guaranteed was one in which democracy would be nurtured and supported to grow.
Mrs Sai Cofie said it was based on that belief that right from day one of coming into office the government resolved to support the media to function effectively.
She said in its bid to ensure that even those in the most deprived rural communities had access to information, the government had strengthened the capacity of the Information Services Department with the purchase of 140 new mobile cinema vans and a full complement of staff.
Mrs Sai Cofie used the occasion to debunk allegations made by some social commentators that she had intimidated Metro TV not to repeat programmes deemed damaging to the government.
The minister said she felt vindicated that Metro TV had come out that she had not asked or called them to shelve any news item or programme.
“Under my watch, I am happy to say, there are only very few incidents in which there have been allegations of interference with the media and I must say that these cases are totally untrue,” she said.
The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Ransford Tetteh, observed that this year’s World Press Freedom Day was a special one, since it was being marked in an election year in Ghana.
He said the occasion provided the media, political parties and civil society an opportunity to reflect on the prospects and challenges of the country in empowering the people to make informed choices and getting them involved in the decision making process that affected their daily lives, as well as developing a credible electoral system.
Mr Tetteh, who is also the Editor of the Daily Graphic, said the theme, “Freedom of the Press, Empowerment and Participation of the People”, was a reminder to the country not to be complacent in the development of democracy and rather be mindful of recent challenges confronting some countries as a result of ill-organised elections.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, said when the flow of information was hindered for political and technological reasons, the capacity for people to function was stunted.
Mr Ki-Moon explained that as the rapid pace of globalisation had strengthened the development of a free, pluralistic, independent and professional media, the significance of this right had become more evident.
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