THE Central Ghana Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church, has honoured Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) in particular and other media establishments in general, for their contributions towards the socio–economic development of the country.
A citation signed jointly by the Communication Director, Pastor Peter Obeng Manu, and the President, Pastor Emmanuel Denteh of the church said the SDA Church, acknowledged and appreciated the positive contributions the GCGL and other media houses were making towards evangelisation of the church in Ghana.
“We also recognise your contributions in the promotion of health, education, agriculture, social issues and many others, that are crucial to the healthy development of our great nation. We pray for the salvation of your entire staff and the success of your daily operations,” it stressed.
The ceremony took place at a special church service organised in Kumasi at the weekend, dubbed: “Media appreciation day”.
Other media houses which were honoured alongside GCGL were the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, TV3, TV Africa, Metro TV, OTEC FM, ANGEL FM, Garden City Radio, KESBEN FM and HELLO FM. The rest were FOX and Liberty FM stations as well as Ghana News Agency, News Times Corporation and the Pioneer.
In his address, Pastor Denteh of the church said over the years, the media in Ghana had collaborated with various governments to initiate policies and programmes that had promoted national development.
He said the media had also not only kept the public abreast with both local and foreign news, but had also provided civic education that had enabled Ghanaians to live up to their civic rights and responsibilities.
Pastor Denteh challenged the media to continue to play their assigned roles as the watchdogs in the country as a way of promoting “God fearing principles among the youth in particular and society in general”.
On health issues, Pastor Denteh said the media had a crucial role to play to initiate health reform principles among Ghanaians.
He stated that the media had successfully carried out an anti-smoking campaign that had considerably reduced the smoking of cigarettes at public places in the country .
Pastor Denteh, however, said the media was yet to initiate programmes and policies that would ward society off the intake of alcohol and hard drugs which had become the order of the day.
“Both radio and television have been using their media to advertise the potency of different brands of alcoholic beverages on daily basis, creating the impression that they are very good for the body. Such false impressions make society, including the youth patronise alcohol in large quantities, which directly and indirectly affect their health,” he stated.
He, therefore, urged the media to propagate the effects of quaffing quantities of alcohol just as they did for smoking, to enable society to appreciate the need to refrain from patronising alcohol.
Pastor Denteh said it was very important for the media to actively support the campaign of preventive principles to enable Ghanaians to enjoy good health.
He mentioned good environmental conditions, adequate rest, regular exercises and good diet, among others, as some of the measures that should be regularly practised by society to enhance good health among them.
He said the church on its part , has constructed four hospitals, 14 clinics and a Nursing Training College in the Ashanti as their contribution of meeting the heath needs of society.
On education, Pastor Denteh said the SDA Church had established 250 public and private schools at the basic level in the Ashanti Region alone, stressing that it also had set up six Senior High Schools, as well as a private university to complement the government’s efforts in bringing education to the doorsteps of the ordinary Ghanaian.
He urged the media to continue playing its role as watchdogs to enhance accelerated social development, but however, said in doing so, the media needed to check the accuracy of their reportage and should also be selective in the music played on air.
“Be selective in the kind of music presented and discard music which tends to lower morals,” Pastor Denteh said, adding “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the service of the Lord and not to men”.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Nana Yaw Osei, commended the Central Ghana Conference of the SDA Church for recognising the crucial role the media play in accelerated national development.
He said the historic ceremony would not only ginger the media to work harder than before to enhance social stability and rapid economic growth, but would also bring the media closer to the church to promote values that would firmly entrench democratic principles in the country.
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