Kofi Akordor is Journalist of the year

Accra, Aug. 16, GNA- Mr. Kofi Akordor, a columnist and Features Editor of the Daily Graphic newspaper, was on Friday night adjudged the P. A. V. Ansah Journalist of the year 2008, at the 14th Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) Awards Night.

Mr. Akordor is the 24th person and the sixth person from the Daily Graphic to have won the prestigious award.

He also won the Best Columnist of the year, which was the only category for which he made an entry this year. For his award, Mr. Akordor took home a certificate, laptop computer and other products from MTN Ghana, a telecommunication company. He also received a Unilever package, which include a fully sponsored eight-week learning trip to the UK, where he would visit the headquarters of the corporate entity. The other 34 award winners also received presents from MTN. The award ended the anti-climax of last year's awards night, when no journalist was nominated for the prestigious prize due to the poor quality of the entries presented for evaluation. The citation accompanying Mr. Akordor's award read that the prize was long overdue.

Mr. Akordor told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that "indeed it was long overdue because I have won four other GJA awards over the years and I think I deserve the top award". He said he was disappointed that last year nobody won the top award "because I think Ghanaian journalists are working hard and someone should have won".

The 34 other award winners comprised 20 competitive honorary awards in five categories and nine institutional awards. The award winners in the competitive category were Peggy Ama Donkor, GTV, Journalist of the year in 2006, who won two awards: Best TV feature and Best Arts and Entertainment reporter; Loretta Vanderpuye, also of GTV won two awards: Best Disability Reporter and Best TV news, Charles Benoni Okine, Daily Graphic, Best Telecom and ICT Reporting (a new category), Kofi Yeboah, Daily Graphic, Best Feature (print), Kingsley Obeng-Kyere, Radio Ghana, Best Feature (radio), Kingley Hope, Ghanaian Times, Best News Reporter (print) and Dominic Hlojeh, Best News Reporter (radio).

Others are Maurice Quansah, Graphic Sports, Best Sports Reporter, Theophilus Yartey, Business and Financial Times, Best Business, Finance and Economic Reporting, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, New Crusading Guide, Best Investigative Reporter, Kobby Asmah, Daily Graphic, Best Political and Parliamentary Reporter and Godwin Ofosu Acheampong, Ghanaian Times, Best Photo Journalist. The rest are Rosalind Amoh, Daily Graphic, Best Environmental and Sanitation Reporter, Edmund Smith-Asante, Best Water Reporter, Jojo Kobinah, Radio Ghana, Best Health and Road Safety Reporter, Victor Kwawukume, Best Rural Reporter and Samuel Kyei-Boateng, Daily Graphic, Best Crime and Court Reporter.

In the institutional category, Public Agenda won the Best Human Rights Reporting; GBC, Best Peace Reporting, Daily Guide was adjudged Best Newspaper Layout, Joy FM's Super Morning Show was Best Morning Show (radio), Radio Progress was Best Rural Station, and Radio Peace (Winneba) was second Best Rural Station and Best Radio (Akan); Obonu FM was best Radio (Ga) and Diamond FM, Tamale, was Best Radio, Dagbani. Mr. Bonnah Koomson, Board Chairman of Ghana News Agency, Mr. Gilbert Ayittey, formerly of the GNA, Mr. Kwartei Sham Simpson, Mr. Cameron Duodu, Mr. Frazier Ofori Atta and Mrs. Harriet Takyi-Menson, were all given honorary awards.

All the competitive award winners took home laptops from MTN, while some of them won special packages, mainly trips abroad, from sponsors. The night marked the 60th anniversary of the GJA, for which a cake-cutting ceremony was performed by present and past executives of the association.

Mrs. Linda Asante-Adjei, Senior Reporter at GNA and the elected Treasurer of GJA and Mr. Mathias Tibu, Public Affairs Officer of the association, were sworn into office.