The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II fears of dire consequences if politics continue to take the place of issues affecting nation building.   

According to him, the multiparty system is being misapplied in the country giving way petty poltics to dominate discussions, particularly those that take place in the media.

Delivering his address as Special Guest of Honour at the 19^th Ghana Journalists Association Awards, Saturday, the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II passionately called on Ghanaians to focus on the ultimate issue of national interest.

He said, it is time people began to pursue “the national interests derived from their common values and above all their vital economic interests” just like other countries in the West have done.

“Who can deny that where those interests are at stake, there is no Conservative or Labour [Britain], no Republican or Democrat [USA], no SDP or FDP [Germany]? There is just the British, the American or the German interests and those interests prevail regardless of who occupies 10 Downing Street or the White House.

“…I suggest to you that we are in danger of misapplying the multiparty system to the detriment of the nation and your initiative provides an appropriate platform to begin the quest for change.

“We should forever bury the supremacy of the party and install and entrench in our minds that the nation is supreme and the national interest overrides everything else. So back to the old question, what constitutes the national interest for us? We may tum to the Derivative Principles of the Constitution for guidance. But from that broad canvas, let us focus on the ultimate issue of national interest, the Asantehene counselled the media.

Ultimate interest

   The Otumfuo also wants the media to critically examine government policies that seek to better the lot of the masses else, they risk misconstruing development to mean “a list of infrastructural projects that can be easily monitored.”

“Development is a product of the policies pursued by our governments. We cannot have sustainable development without sound sustainable economic policies. So we cannot presume to focus attention on development only by monitoring the implementation of projects without coming to grips with the broad policies driving or hindering development.

“It stands to reason that while project monitoring may serve a useful purpose, on its own, it could also be an unintended diversion from the crux of our problem. Therefore, you can do no better than brace yourselves not only for the impartial monitoring of projects but also for the objective analysis and evaluation of public policies affecting the economy”.

Touching on the declining fortunes of the economy as result of the decline in the value of the local currency (Ghana cedi), the Asantehene said: “Because the cedi is so crucial to the stability of the national economy, it is imperative, in my view that we remove it from the realm of partisan politics and place it as an issue of high national interest.”

“This should require us, to strife to insulate the cedi from political and other pressures likely to undermine confidence and reinforce the institutional framework for defending and protecting it in the market place,” he stressed.

Award winners

The night saw Joy FM’s Manasseh Azure Awuni, Seth Kwame Boateng and Beatrice Adu as well as Multi TV's Gifty Appiah Andoh win various awards.

  

The ‘Hotline’ documentary series aired on Joy FM Thursdays, was also honoured at the Awards night which was graced by the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Dr. Sam Jonah, a former member of the Council of State, past GJA president Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie and the Minister of Communications Dr. Omane Boamah, who represented President John Dramani Mahama.

Gifty Andoh Appiah receives her award

Manasseh’s anticorruption campaign at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital won him the Best Award in Anti-corruption. Similar campaigns by Manasseh have led to ongoing reforms in the Ghana Youth and Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Authority (GYEEDA) and the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA).

However, his three-part documentary series which he filed for the awards did not receive any recognition at the awards ceremony.

Seth Kwame Boateng on the other hand won the Best Radio Feature Award with his documentary on "Childlessness" while Beatrice Adu was adjudged the best in Health Reporting with the documentary titled "Sick Hospitals.

Beatrice Adu

Manasseh and Seth also won a joint Award as Best Journalists in News Reporting on Radio. Multi TV's Gifty Andoh Appiah also won a joint award as best Environment, Science and Hygiene reporting with Edem Srem, a Freelance journalist.

Daily Graphic reporter, Mabel Aku Baneseh was crowned the Journalist of the Year 2013. She also won two awards in Crime/Court Reporting and Political Reporting.

Mabel acknowledged her husband for the support while dedicating her award to her editor, Ransford Tetteh.

The Komla Dumor Most Promising Journalist of the Year Award was picked by Maxwell Akalaral Adambilla also of the Daily Graphic.

The Award is named after late BBC journalist and former host of the Super Morning Show on Joy FM.

Other winners on the night were:

Photojournalism Electronics
Mark Sasu - GTV

Photojournalism Print
Samuel Tei Adanu - Daily Graphic

TV feature
Narkwor Kwabla (TV3)

News Reporting (TV)
Asante Fordwor - TV3

News Reporting Print
Dzifa Emma Tetteh - Ghanaian Times

Electronic Reporting disability
Kwetey Nartey - TV Africa

Reporting Disability (Print)
Jamina Okaretsire

Science Reporting
Rachel Quartey - GTV

Agric reporting
Soyoko Kyere - GTV

Feature (Print)
Maxwell Adombilla - Daily Graphic

Business Finance and Economics
Kwetey Nartey - TV Africa

Human Rights
Nelson Adanutey - Diamond FM

Investigative journalism
Kwetey Nartey - TV Africa

Telecommunications
Seth Dogbey, Kwesi Amprah Twum - Daily Graphic

SMEs
Moses Aklorbotu - Daily Graphic

Education Reporting (Electronic)
Isabella Owusu Oppong – GTV

Education Reporting (Print)
Kofi Yeboah – Daily Graphic

Rural Reporting
Seth Otoo

Online Journalism
Nana Boakye-Yiadom – Citi FM

Arts and Entertainment
Rebecca Armah – GTV

Water Reporting
Kofi Yeboah

HIV/AIDS reporting
Kwetey Nartey – TV Africa

Crime/Court Reporting
Mabel Aku Baneseh – Graphic

Sports Reporting
John Vigah – Ghanaian Times

Political Reporting
Mabel Aku Baneseh – Graphic

Oil and Gas
Maxwell Akalaral – Graphic