West African journalists commend Ghana‘s exemplary role

Journalists participating in a two week extensive course on conflict situations and resolution on the sub region have praised Ghana for striving to thrive in its quest for good governance rule of law enviable economic management style, economic stability and growth.

Moreover they were astonished at the way the capital of Ghana, Accra has been kept clean from filth compared to the situation in their various countries.
Speaking to the New Crusading Guide in an interview during the programme, Grace Funmi Ajumobi, a journalist working with the Vanguard newspaper in Nigeria emphasized that “its amazing how clean your country is . Your country is beautiful and clean. The environment is clean and the people comport themselves. I believe that it is because your population is small compared to Nigeria. If you strive to continue with the way you are managing your economy that’s bringing inflation to single digit, adding value to your resources , sustaining the operations of the existing industries and adding more , then there is no doubt that Ghana will become the Dubai of West Africa in the short to medium term”
On his part Mamadou Bah, a Guinean Journalist with Lynx –lance weekly newspaper compared Accra to cities like Johannesburg, Pretoria in terms of cleanliness. The roads are well tarred, the environment is clean, and the security system is well in placed and well managed. I have been her for 8 days now and everything seems to be working well. I haven’t seen any criminal act “it’s so amazing that you have constant electricity. Access to water and electricity here is far better than Guinea. You have done well in managing yourselves and I think West Africa need to learn from your GOOD EXAMPLE,” HE STATED
Abubakar Kamara, reporter with the Punch Newspaper in sierra Leone also praised Ghana for promoting good governance ensuring transparency in its political financial systems while allowing participatory democracy among the entire population he urged Ghanaians to guard against issues that would divide them as well as issues that would trigger conflict in the run up to the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections..
However Stephen siaka Binda, who works with the Daily Observer newspaper in Liberia, feared that the discovery of oil in Ghana as well as its production could trigger conflict as in the Niger Delta if the resources were not well managed.
He advised Ghanaians to try and manage their expectations on oil revenue and avoid accusing each other over frivolous issue that wouldn’t put food on their table
About 15 journalists drawn from West Africa, namely Ghana Togo Benin Gambia Nigeria Guinea Liberia and Sierra Leone ARE PARTICIPATING IN A TWO WEEK extensive course on the “media’s role in conflict transformation and peace building. The programme is being organized by the international institute for journalism of GIZ of Germany. The acting business editor of the New Crusading Guide Adu Koranteng, Samuel Amoako Deputy editor of the Ghanaian Times and Mary Doe Ahedor, News editor of Metro TV were selected to represent Ghana through a highly competitive screening exercise .