Journalists in the Ashanti region have expressed disappointment over government’s failure to exclude the Ashanti regional Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Press Centre from the re-zoning exercise carried out by the government.
According to them the government has done a great disservice to the media in the region by not making provisions to save the GJA Press Centre, which is under construction at Denyame, a prime residential area in Kumasi.
The outburst by the media follows a statement made by the Ashanti regional minister, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah, during the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council briefing on Infrastructure Development in the region.
A journalist had asked the minister about the current status of the Press Centre.
Responding to the question, Osei-Mensah explained that per E.I, the government released portions of state lands at Denyame, Ridge and Nhyieaso to Manhyia. This development, according to him, led to shortage of land.
“Maybe going forward, we have to go for another place to site the project for the Ghana Journalists Association. That is the challenge that we have,” he said.
However, journalists present at the event did not take the explanation from the Ashanti regional minister lightly, expressing utmost disappointment over the latest development.
Mr Kwame Agyenim Boateng, a journalist with the Otec FM,Kumasi, described the development as “unfortunate” since the GJA had been working hard to procure funding for the completion of the project.
“You know, I cannot dispute that, but I believe that if indeed this was the problem, he should have told the media and give us the way forward, because we have seen other government agencies whose lost lands have been replaced for them.
“I was expecting the minister or the government to meet the media, give them the update and tell them how they will resolve this particular issue, but for us to hear it at this programme, it is quite unfortunate, because when it comes to Ashanti region or Ghana in general, the media has been very supportive of this government,” he said.
“If you are telling us that we have lost the press centre without a land to begin something, it is rather unfortunate. I will call on the government, particularly the regional minister, to ensure that they replace the land for the media and get funding for the project”, he added.
Mr. Antwi-Bosiako, a journalist with Akoma FM, expressed disappointment in the government of the day, over her inability to assist the media to complete the project.
“In fact, I am very disappointed in this current government because they have been in power for eight years and when they came, the GJA executives engaged them in a series of meetings about the progress of this project, but they have sat aloof for the land to be rezoned”.
“They cannot not tell us that they have the media at heart because had the media been able to complete the project, the land would not have been added to that of Manhyia Palace.”
Richard, a media practitioner with Ashh FM, repeated the same sentiments by his colleagues, describing the loss of the Ashanti regional press centre as worrisome.
“We are sad that we have lost our press centre;we hope authorities will put in measures to get the Ashanti regional GJA a new site for the construction of our Press Centre”, he said.
The construction of the Ashanti GJA press centre was started around 2016, but owing to financial challenges the project stalled.
