Regional chapters can organise awards ceremonies, but......GJA

Accra (Greater Accra), 15 March '99 - The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has stressed that regional chapters can hold awards ceremonies which must however not undermine nor clash with the motive and status of the national awards. It said the regional honours, which will be strictly monitored by the national executive, should not be as competitive as the national awards. They must "casually pick winners taking just their general performance into account". The decision, which was taken at the GJA National Consultative Committee (NCC) meeting in October last year, was revisited during the presentation of the General-Secretary's report at the Association's annual general meeting in Accra Friday. Consequently, the national executive has decided to sanction the Ashanti regional executive for organising an awards ceremony last year that was "too elaborate and in violation of the terms agreed upon at the NCC meeting". Mr Bright Blewu, General-Secretary, said the Association was rocked by the incarceration of two of its members, Mr Kweku Baako Jnr, Editor of the Crusading Guide and Mr Harruna Attah, Editor of The Statesman, to a month's imprisonment each for contempt of court. On the acquisition of land for a permanent Press Centre, Mr Blewu said due to the high number of land disputes in Accra, the problem of land location and the high cost of land, the GJA is in touch with serviced plot providers to "get the best deal". He said last year's opening of the Ghana Media Gateway, an Internet facility for the Association will showcase the GJA and the general media scene in Ghana. Earlier, Mrs Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie, GJA President, described this year as a unique one since the Association will celebrate its golden jubilee in August, the first of such association south of the Sahara to do so. She urged GJA members and the public to take part in this year's World Press Freedom Day, which falls on May three, "to take stock of the performance of the media and reflect upon the quality of journalism in Ghana". A seven-member national executive was sworn-in for a second two-year term, with Mr Albert Sam, an editor at the Daily Graphic, as the new executive member.