Jake solicits inputs into Cinema bill

The Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey on Wednesday said a new legislation would soon be promulgated to regulate the film industry. He, therefore, called on the public to provide input for the Cinematography Bill before it was submitted to cabinet for consideration and approval.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey, said government was dissatisfied with the proliferation of indecent films and said there was the need to institutionalise the culture of decency and propriety in the distribution of films and video materials in the country.

Mr Kofi Sekyiama, Chief Director at the Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs (MIPA), announced this on behalf of the sector Minister when he was re-launching a quarterly newspaper, "Students Alert," in Accra.

The 12-page newspaper, expected to be a mouthpiece of Ghanaian students would refute negative reports about students and inform them on developments of their 'front', as well as the general public and government.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the establishment of the newspaper was a clear demonstration of the resilience of the students to respond to the dictates of existing media pluralism in the country.

He advised that the newspaper should serve as a forum for students to discuss issues dispassionately, to enable them seek the welfare of the people and to create wealth.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the newspaper was expected to strive for excellence, exhibit responsible journalism and to seek informed dialogue for effective and transparent governance. He mentioned that the government was making efforts to encourage the free flow of information from its outfit to the general public.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey advised students to employ dialogue in solving problems, noting, strikes stalled educational development and appealed to polytechnic students to call off their boycott of lectures.

The Minister of Education, Professor Christopher Ameyaw- Akumfi in a speech read for him expressed the hope that the newspaper would assist in national development and not "another breeding ground for indiscipline." The first five copies of the newspaper were auctioned for 1,410,000 cedis.