Chairman of the Board of Directors at Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Professor Kwame Karikari, has prayed media practitioners to serve as agents of peace in their coverage of the December 7 elections.
He said although current political activities suggest potential electoral violence, responsible media reportage could enhance the credibility of electoral results, as well as maintain peace after the election.
Prof. Karikari said this in a meeting with editors and long-serving members of various media houses in Accra on Friday at an event organised by the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE).
The media encounter was to discuss the impact of the Accountability, Rule of Law and Anti-corruption Programme (ARAP); a four-year initiative aimed at employing traditional resolutions in the anti-corruption fight.
"Many people are worried that the country will be thrown into chaos during this election, but I am optimistic that Ghana will remain strong after the December 7 elections. There will be a few miscreants who would want to cause trouble, but I trust the police to deal with them," he said.
The GCGL Chairman also implored media houses to engage in mass education, especially on the two leading political parties in the impending elections.
According to him, the exercise will help electorates make informed decisions based of the records of both candidates, when they go in to cast their votes.
“We know the two leading candidates in these elections - Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and John Mahama - so it calls for questioning both of them on how we know them.
They both have testimonial because they have been President for four years; so the media must help citizens judge them based on their testimonial," he said.
Prof. Karikari equally urged media practitioners to fairly project minority political parties and their candidates to promote democracy.
He stressed the need for the media to pay attention to the local government space, given it is the basis for grass-root participation in the processes of Ghana's development.
He added that it was important for the media to hold public office holders accountable to ensure that the national purse was not dissipated.
On his part, the Deputy Chairman of the NCCE in charge of Operations, Samuel Asare Akuamoah said the call for accountability on the part of the media is key because journalists are at the forefronts of fighting corruption.
"We are in an election year and the issue of accountability is key. We want editors to help in pushing through stories that help fight corruption," he said.
The NCCE's Accountability, Rule of Law and Anti-corruption Programme (ARAP) has been in existence since 2017, with support from the European Union (EU).
With less than a month to its expiration, the meeting was organised to strengthen partnership with media managers on how to fight corruption and promote accountability in governance.
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