Koforidua, July 12, GNA- Dr Kwasi Akyem Apea-Kubi, Eastern Regional Minister, has urged the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to make a stron= g representation to the National Media Commission (NMC) on the need to deal with charlatans who paraded as media practitioners.

He stressed that the representation must be backed by the many instances where unprofessional and unacceptable behaviour had been exhibite= d by 93some media personnel". Dr Apea-Kubi observed that unqualified persons had invaded the media for their own personal gains yet the GJA appeared to be helpless in dealing with them and had therefore charged the NMC and the GJA to put in measures to deal with the situation. "It has reach the critical stage where the NMC must rise up to its mandate and together with the GJA put in stringent measures to ensure that charlatans who had found their way into the media are dealt with", he emphasized. The Regional Minister who was interacting with a delegation from the GJA who had called on him to apologise for the uncouth behaviour that was exhibited by some media personnel at the residency, said the GJA must surel= y find ways of dealing with those who were not their members Dr Apea-Kubi said the GJA should not take the excuse that the "invaders" were not their members and so could not check them but rathe= r find a way of closing their ranks to ensure that no unqualified persons invaded the profession.

He said events in the media and what happened at the residency where some so called journalists openly fought at the residency showed deep the image of the media had sank and the need to check it else journalism would suffer a serious fate in the near future. The Regional Minister who expressed disappointment at the scene create= d at the residency last Wednesday, hoped that it would never be repeated and that the GJA would take notice of that singular event and act to redeem the image of its profession.