Journalists, like Doctors, Nurses and Teachers Need to be Treated well by the Government

The only opportunity that gave me the supremacy to go on as a journalist was the distinct honor done to me by the Ghanaian times newspaper. One of the largest state owned newspapers in Ghana, having offered me a slot to do internship with a media house that has excellent learning opportunities.

After undergoing a vigorous three year journalistic training at Jayee University College, formerly known as Jayee Institute. I gleefully achieved my foremost newspaper bye-line in the most reputable newspaper in Ghana after a day’s practice in news coverage.

Working at Ghanaian Times served as a turning point in my life as an up coming journalist. The day-to-day goings at Ghanaian Times was pure fun, simple. But the hours can be tough and working weekends was the standard.

Ghanaian Times comes out everyday, after all. But I also had the option to interact with fascinating people, both at the paper and out reporting. I appreciate the fact that a journalist was one of the most powerful citizens in the society.

Journalism offered me a huge opportunity to meet interesting people, I visited interesting places and I got to know a lot of authoritative people in the society, such as politicians, business magnates, the academia and the ordinary man in the street.

Doing internship at the Ghanaian Times newspaper was a jolly joy and a mixture of passion. At first I became a little apprehensive, since I had never worked in any media house.

 I had no prior skills to guide me. But once I was highly motivated to take the challenge, I hit the tabloid with my very first news coverage at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.

In my next assignment, I and a senior reporter at Ghanaian Times formed part of an extremely elevated entourage with the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing and other dignitaries. We toured Accra to inspect the status of government bungalows.

I could not imagine that I was in a ‘‘siren blaring’’ convoy that never knew traffic for the whole they in the traffic stricken Accra.

I never new journalism could be such a great fun, It was terrific amusing, everyday was different just as every story was unique. But most of all I had a chance to do something that was for the public good; inform, explain, reveal unknown but imperative information and entertain.

It was against this backdrop that a former United States President, Thomas Jefferson opined that if it was left to him to decide whether we should have government without the press or the press without government. He stressed that he would not hesitate for a moment to go for the later. But he underscored that it would be crucial that every man must receive the news and be able to read and understand them.       

 I met wonderful colleague journalists, we discussed interesting national concerns and I became familiar and known to journalists across the various media houses.   

The most significant thing in my life as a journalist was when I interviewed the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing. I was extremely excited since that was my first time interviewing a luminary. I became so fulfilled as a journalist because that interview with the Minister gave me the impetus to do my work as a journalist.

Working at Ghanaian Time had made me to believe that newspaper was the best alternative for internship, because newspaper journalists explain in detail and put into context the important issues of the day. Newspaper journalists report for a local audience that truly cares about those issues. And we do so with depth, repeatedly.

 With the audacity that I had acquired, I became goaded to do my individual stories without being assigned. Thanks to the experience that I had acquired, I can now brag, having interviewed over twenty public figures in a pace of few weeks.

What was important for me at Ghanaian Times was I learn constantly from the people around me, and from my own mistakes. I had my highs and lows, perhaps the great story I did yesterday got published today and it was elating, yet my editor desired to know what story I had for the next edition. And that’s part of what made it great.

Among the interviews I deemed important was one with the Public Affairs Director of the Electoral Commission of Ghana. The purpose of the interview was to clarify matters pertaining to a proposed E-voting.

The anticipated E-voting was presumed to be implemented in the 2012 general elections. I was so excited when it got published on the Ghanaian Times Newspaper, and also on myjoyonline.com news portal in the internet.

I always took notice that the press, in any country was the ‘‘fourth estate of the realm.’’ But I could not decipher it until one day; I went to cover a program.

When the main speaker of the program took his turn, after acknowledging the executives, the legislature and the judiciary, he turned to the audience in a parked auditorium and mentioned the press.

After the superior acknowledgement from a ‘VIP’ in the midst of a highly attended symposium, I now understood how the press became known as the fourth estate of the realm.

I had just memorized how ‘‘the fourth estate of the realm’’ was coined by an 18^th century Irish orator, Edmund Burke. The term was coined during a British parliamentary debate; Edmund Burke adequately recognized the press.

He turned to the press gallery and said, ‘‘there were three estates in the parliament, but seated in the press gallery over there is the fourth estate of the realm, the most important of them all,’’ Pointing to the press.   

Working for the Ghanaian Times as a news reporter in this few weeks, I have no doubt in my mind that the newspaper has the most excellent human resource and they are very dedicated to the service of the Ghanaian public.

 Everyone at Ghanaian Times is amazing, they have excellent interpersonal relations thus from driver to management level. To this end, I had no regrets for being associated with Ghanaian Times. I would love to work there yet again if given the opportunity.

However, it is distressing to note that such a wonderful outfit like Ghanaian Times cannot boast of necessary equipments such as computers and the prevailing technology ‘like local area networking’ and constant internet connectivity.

Possibly, it would sound wacky in the ears of public to note that people are often sent around to distribute information like pictures and stories. Even layout designers also go round to collect stories and other items to be able to plan their pages. Clearly, this is waste of time and energy since many more errands could be accomplished ‘online.’

Permit me an opportunity to exploit this occasion to plead with the government, on behalf of management of Ghanaian Times newspaper. Probably, to solicit government to provide not only equipments, as well incentives like vehicles, accommodation and other facilities to journalists in state owned media outlets.

The writer> Alhassan Naziru

Of cause, if government could provide these incentives for teachers, doctors and other public servants. It can do same for journalists who also work at the state owned media institutions. These journalists spend their lives informing, entertaining and educating the public. Knowledge, they say is power and journalists offer just that for free.

I could see a bright future at the Ghanaian Times newspaper, if government takes steps now to facelift the institution both structurally and logistically. It is only fair and prudent that government must be serious with such maintenance culture, since government is the beneficiary in this case.

I am highly indebted to anyone who helped, in one way or the other to facilitate my admission into the Ghanaian Times Newspaper. I can only hope and pray that such glorious opportunities be given to others who ar

Electricity Company of Ghana, not Committed to Reducing Commercial Losses

An electricity power bandit, who siphons power from Volta River Authority of Ghana and trade it to over 100 customers, is uncovered at Maamobi in Accra.

A vital investigation conducted by a Ghanaian Times reporter has exposed a dubious electricity provider popularly known as Sammy, at Maamobi. Sammy, the self style ‘‘independent power supplier’’ can now boast of over 100 customer base.

He charges Gh ¢ 5.00 per household, regardless to the number of house hold appliances per customer.

What is difficult to comprehend is that this unlawful act and impunity has gone on for years without being detected.

It is normal that Electricity Company of Ghana has personnels, who do monthly rounds to every household for meter reading and distribution of bills. What is not ordinary is that ECG does not seem to ask questions when they see houses with electricity without meters to be read.

Sammy does not only engage in electric power distribution. According to him, he also provide pipe borne water to people apparently from Ghana Water Company through the same illegality.

Speaking to the Times reporter, Sammy complained that he borrowed over Gh ¢ 4000 to undertake these two projects.

These revelations have fueled suspicions that personnels of Electricity Company of Ghana are not only aware of this criminality but also, they are part of it.

The findings of the investigation is also an indicative that the Electricity Company of Ghana and the Ghana Water Company are oblivion of the huge loses the they incur.

When VRA/ECG took their turn at the public accounts committee of parliament last week, it was revealed that the VRA was operating at a loss of 25% of their total energy production which translates into Gh ¢ 6 million.

The losses were classified as commercial and technical. According to the VRA, when they attempted to reduce only the technical loses in only two areas, one area in Kumasi and Madina in Accra, it cost them $ 30 million.

Mr. Cephas Gakpo, the acting Chief Executive officer of the Volta River Authority added that power theft contributed immensely to the operational losses that they were grappling with  

VRA was also on record to have reported that they were owed to Ministries Departments and Agencies to a tune of about $250 million. It is therefore unacceptable that all the losses, which are as a result of the inefficiencies of utility providers, are transferred to the poor and innocent consumers.

It would serve the utility providers some good to immediately set up a task force to go round investigate, and if possible to disconnect and charge people who are engaged in any illegalities.

 

Ghana Police in Dire Need of Logistics

The Ghana Police Service has lost it’s efficacy in its core duties of defending the Public, enforcing the law and affecting arrest of law breakers.

Two Police Personnel over the Week ends in Accra Kotobabi, has displayed their ineptitude following their in ability to effect arrest.

An aggrieved Tenant, Mrs. Aku 25 had reported violation of Tenancy Agreement by her Landlady madam Alice 55 to the Police, apparently to intervene and save her from being thrown out of the house. ‘’ The rent agreement is two years but I stayed in the room barely one and half years’’, the tenant explained.

A first, a lone Police man arrived together with the Complainant with an invite from the Police, inviting the Landlady to the Police Station for questioning. The Landlady declined the invite, saying that the Police are corrupt.

Whiles there, the Police obtained information that the facility the Landlady is renting out is not for her. The Police man, realizing that he could not effect the arrest alone went back to the Police station for reinforcement.  

The reinforcement arrived later in a charted Taxicab, but before the two police could land from the cab, the Landlady started yelling and hurling insults and invectives at the Police.

Nonetheless, the Police walked to her amid the rain of insults to show an arrest warrant to her. Immediately, the Landlady snatched the paper from the Police officer and threw it into a nearby gutter filled with water.

Clearly, ‘’this disrespect and grossly disobeying the orders of the Police is despicable and an acceptable’’, this is the opinion of the onlookers as they watched with disgust. 

world class police having tough time controlling crowd 

‘’Why would anybody respect a Police Personnel who arrive in a scene in a Taxicab, with a tattered, discolored uniform and wretched unpolished shoes’’ another witness explained.

These are the sentiments of Concerned Ghanaians who think that the Police Service must be given proper training in addition to massive facelift in terms of Logistics.