MEDIA IS CENTRAL IN CONST. WEEK CELEBRATION
MEDIA IS CENTRAL IN CONST. WEEK CELEBRATION May 3, 2011
BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM
ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL
The Upper East regional directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education [NCCE] has held an interface meeting with media personnel in the region to solicit their assistance in highlighting and disseminating planned activities in all districts of the region to mark this year’s National Constitution Week celebration.
It will be recalled that the NCCE in 2001 introduced and institutionalised the Constitution Week Celebration for the country to reflect on its developmental agenda annually and forge the way forward with the constitution as the reference point. This year’s celebration is the eleventh in the series and is themed “The State of Ghana’s Democracy, 2011”.
The regional director of the NCCE, Mr. P.H Mensah who spoke extensively both on regional and national events to mark the celebrations noted that, the 1992 constitution has created an enabling framework for the nurturing of a viable enduring democracy in Ghana. He said the constitution has guided Ghana through 19 years of uninterrupted democratic governance with smooth transition of power.
Mr. Mensah disclosed that his outfit will among other activities meet religious leaders, hold a forum with the security agencies and hold interactive radio discussions. Meanwhile, all municipal and district assemblies will carry out their own planned activities based on guidelines released by the NCCE headquarters. Such activities as public lectures, school debates, clean-up exercises and community durbars will be carried out.
According to Mr. Mensah, each region will host one of the national activities earmarked for the 2011 constitution week celebration adding that “Political Parties” is topic assigned to the Upper East region scheduled to come off on July 19, 2011. He said the NCCE will also use the mosques, churches and other social gatherings to educate the masses on vital civic issues.
The NCCE regional director revealed that the 2011 constitution week celebration has a huge bearing on the state of the media in Ghana. Quoting the constitution, he said article 164 places limitations on the freedoms of the media in the interest of national security, public order and morality and also to protect reputations, rights and freedoms of persons.
Mr. Mensah cautioned media personnel to be guided by ethics and circumspection in their reportage keeping in mind that too much bias reporting and deliberate twisting of facts for selfish and political gains can unmake all the gains Ghana has made over the years.
This caution sterns from a famous quote by the country’s first president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah that “the power of the media to do good is enormous, but its power to arouse the worst emotions in men is even greater”.
BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM
ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL
The Upper East regional directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education [NCCE] has held an interface meeting with media personnel in the region to solicit their assistance in highlighting and disseminating planned activities in all districts of the region to mark this year’s National Constitution Week celebration.
It will be recalled that the NCCE in 2001 introduced and institutionalised the Constitution Week Celebration for the country to reflect on its developmental agenda annually and forge the way forward with the constitution as the reference point. This year’s celebration is the eleventh in the series and is themed “The State of Ghana’s Democracy, 2011”.
The regional director of the NCCE, Mr. P.H Mensah who spoke extensively both on regional and national events to mark the celebrations noted that, the 1992 constitution has created an enabling framework for the nurturing of a viable enduring democracy in Ghana. He said the constitution has guided Ghana through 19 years of uninterrupted democratic governance with smooth transition of power.
Mr. Mensah disclosed that his outfit will among other activities meet religious leaders, hold a forum with the security agencies and hold interactive radio discussions. Meanwhile, all municipal and district assemblies will carry out their own planned activities based on guidelines released by the NCCE headquarters. Such activities as public lectures, school debates, clean-up exercises and community durbars will be carried out.
According to Mr. Mensah, each region will host one of the national activities earmarked for the 2011 constitution week celebration adding that “Political Parties” is topic assigned to the Upper East region scheduled to come off on July 19, 2011. He said the NCCE will also use the mosques, churches and other social gatherings to educate the masses on vital civic issues.
The NCCE regional director revealed that the 2011 constitution week celebration has a huge bearing on the state of the media in Ghana. Quoting the constitution, he said article 164 places limitations on the freedoms of the media in the interest of national security, public order and morality and also to protect reputations, rights and freedoms of persons.
Mr. Mensah cautioned media personnel to be guided by ethics and circumspection in their reportage keeping in mind that too much bias reporting and deliberate twisting of facts for selfish and political gains can unmake all the gains Ghana has made over the years.
This caution sterns from a famous quote by the country’s first president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah that “the power of the media to do good is enormous, but its power to arouse the worst emotions in men is even greater”.
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