By Comfort Sena Fetrie-Akagbor
Tamale, Sept 21, GNA – The Northern Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has launched its 2022 Awards to recognise and promote excellence in journalism practice in the area.
Journalists working in print, online, and broadcast media houses and news agencies in the Northern, North East and Savannah Regions qualify to enter the Awards.
Submission of entries for the Awards begins from Friday, September 23, and ends on Monday, October 10, 2022, at 1800hours.
There are nine categories, which include Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Education, Health, Tourism and Culture, Disability, Rural Reporting, Agriculture, Road Safety, Peace and Conflict Sensitive Reporting, and The Regional Journalist of the Year.
The Awards ceremony will be held on November 05, in Tamale on the theme: “Promoting Tourism and Culture to create Jobs: The Role of the Media”.
Mr Yakubu Abdul-Majeed, Northern Regional Chairman of GJA, during the launch of the Awards in Tamale, said it formed part of efforts to promote high journalistic standards in the regions.
He said, “It also forms part of our deliberate and conscious efforts to highlight our true culture as a people and the tourism sites in the area.”
He mentioned members of the Awards’ Committee saying “It is made up of competent and seasoned journalists. Mr Illiasu Adam, a veteran BBC Correspondent, Development Practitioner, who now heads the Minerals Commission in the Northern Region, Mr Saaka Mohammed, News Editor at Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, and Mr Kwabena Effah, a former print and online journalist, who now handles Communications at Savannah Signatures.”
Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, who launched the Awards, said he was excited about the Awards because of the importance of journalism to society, adding his administration highly regarded journalists for their contributions to society.
He reiterated the need for journalists to adhere to ethics in doing their work and expressed hope that the Awards would result in high journalistic standards in the region.
Mr Albert Dwumfuor, President of GJA, who was represented by Ms Rebecca Ekpe, Public Affairs Officer of GJA, commended the Northern Regional GJA Executive for their arduous work as they were the only Regional Executive to organise Awards for journalists this year.
He spoke about the GJA National Awards, scheduled for November 12, and encouraged GJA members to file their entries to be recognised.
GNA