Don't be induced to report untruths - Otumfuo tells media

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged journalists to refuse the influenced of money and other inducements to report half-truths and pure lies.

He said they should always be guided by the truth and accept to work with passion to “give voice to the voiceless in the society,” adding that maligning, inciting public hatred and antagonism towards personalities, motivated by sheer mischief, must be avoided.

Otumfuo Osei tutu said this when a delegation of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) led by its National President, Mr. Affail Monney, called on the him at his Manhyia Palace to thank him for attending this year’s best journalist awards ceremony held in Accra.

He said the media must put the national interest ahead of any other consideration and avoid doing anything likely to create confusion and tear the people apart, and they should do more to drive the nation’s development through its agenda setting.

He said journalists should also bear in mind the challenges facing the people and think of how to support the government to tackle these.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu told the delegation that he “is apolitical” and that his primary concern was the welfare and the general good of the people and he would therefore continue to work hard to assist lift the population out of poverty and invited the media to join hands with him.

The Asantehene later gave cash gift of Ghc5,000.00 to Miss Mabel Aku Banasseh, the 2014 Best Journalist of the Year and called on other female journalists to be inspired by her achievement.

Mr Monney said the Association was grateful to the King for his historic presence at its awards ceremony and the good counsel.