Ambassador Kabral Blay Amihere
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12th December, 2011
Ghana Institute of Journalism Holds 5th Congregation
In order for us to have a free, transparent, and peaceful election devoid of violence and acrimony next year, there is the need for the media to play its watchdog role extensively, Ambassador Kabral Blay- Amihere, Chairman National Media Commission has said.
“For the deserved, desired, free and fair elections next year, all stakeholders, media owners and practitioners, public relations officers, spokes persons of political parties, traditional leaders and those who use the media must play their part”, he said.
He explained that the country’s training institutions must in addition to their normal academic work; include public lectures and seminars in efforts to ensure the media lives up to expectation.
“Our training institutions with the advantage of academic detachment and intellectual objectivity must come out with publications that evaluate the performance of the media on regular basis”.
Mr. Amihere was speaking at the 5th Congregation of the Ghana Institute of Journalism dubbed Developing Human Capital for Information Management: A Challenge to Communication Training Institutions.
Highlighting the theme, he said the shift from journalism to communication would go a long way to herald the multiple and diverse nature of the information landscape.
According to him, the media was no longer the domain of journalist but a wide range of advertisers, social commentators, communications expert and greater participation of the citizenry through the social media.
Touching on the human factor in the management of information, the Chairman said there is no place on earth that man’s importance and relevance is as crucial as the information sector.
He said there is no denying the fact that the information sector is an important one and challenged players in sector to prioritize the development of mind that has the capacity to manage tons of information to bring development, maintain social harmony and bring enlightenment to the society.
Mr. Amihere challenged universities, schools and colleges in the country to contribute to the development of minds and functional citizens and not certified citizens.
“In today’s expanding media and information age, those schools and colleges specifically established like the Ghana Institute of Journalism, to train the next generation of communicators must re-examine their curricular and the impacts of their products on society,” he emphasized.
The Minister of Education Mrs. Betty Mould Iddrisu, in a speech read on her behalf, said the Ministry relished the vital pivotal role GIJ had played and continued to play in building the manpower base for the nation and Africa as a whole.
“The strides being made by under our democracy would not have been complete without the products from this institute. They have been part of our construction and development,” she added.
She explained that as part of Government’s Better Agenda, the Ministry has prioritized three thematic areas to quicken the pace of the institute’s development. The areas are: human resource development, provision of facilities and requisite logistical support and upgrading of physical infrastructure.
On his part the Rector of the institute, Mr. David Newton said the institute’s dream of developing the new site into a modern university campus is very high on the agenda of both the Governing Council and the Management of the Institute.
He said the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning were making frantic efforts to secure external funding for the development of the new site into a modern university campus equipped with the state of the art facilities.
Mr. Newton announced the re –establishment of an experimental FM Radio on campus, which will operate on a frequency of 97.7 MEGA- HERTZ.
In his valedictory address to graduands, Mr. Newton implored them to justify the investment and sacrifice made by parents and society at large towards their education.
This year’s congregation witnessed the graduation of 135 students who have successfully completed a two- year Diploma in Communication Studies. Of the number, 98 were women whilst the remaining 37 were men.
Ms. Joyce Hilda Efia Aboagye was adjudged the overall best student whilst Ms. Jessica Acheampong was adjudged the best student in the Social Sciences.
However, the institute, in its quest to promote competition among students and to broaden their horizons in the pursuit of academic knowledge has awarded two distinguished continuing outstanding students with certificates for lifting the image of the school higher as they sailed through to the quarter finals of the Knowing Africa Competition, a popular programme on TV Africa.
They are Wisdom Jonny- Nuekpe, a level 400 student and Michael Ohene Aboagye a level 300 student respectively.
Invited guest at the ceremony were treated to cultural and contemporary musical display.
“For the deserved, desired, free and fair elections next year, all stakeholders, media owners and practitioners, public relations officers, spokes persons of political parties, traditional leaders and those who use the media must play their part”, he said.
He explained that the country’s training institutions must in addition to their normal academic work; include public lectures and seminars in efforts to ensure the media lives up to expectation.
“Our training institutions with the advantage of academic detachment and intellectual objectivity must come out with publications that evaluate the performance of the media on regular basis”.
Mr. Amihere was speaking at the 5th Congregation of the Ghana Institute of Journalism dubbed Developing Human Capital for Information Management: A Challenge to Communication Training Institutions.
Highlighting the theme, he said the shift from journalism to communication would go a long way to herald the multiple and diverse nature of the information landscape.
According to him, the media was no longer the domain of journalist but a wide range of advertisers, social commentators, communications expert and greater participation of the citizenry through the social media.
Touching on the human factor in the management of information, the Chairman said there is no place on earth that man’s importance and relevance is as crucial as the information sector.
He said there is no denying the fact that the information sector is an important one and challenged players in sector to prioritize the development of mind that has the capacity to manage tons of information to bring development, maintain social harmony and bring enlightenment to the society.
Mr. Amihere challenged universities, schools and colleges in the country to contribute to the development of minds and functional citizens and not certified citizens.
“In today’s expanding media and information age, those schools and colleges specifically established like the Ghana Institute of Journalism, to train the next generation of communicators must re-examine their curricular and the impacts of their products on society,” he emphasized.
The Minister of Education Mrs. Betty Mould Iddrisu, in a speech read on her behalf, said the Ministry relished the vital pivotal role GIJ had played and continued to play in building the manpower base for the nation and Africa as a whole.
“The strides being made by under our democracy would not have been complete without the products from this institute. They have been part of our construction and development,” she added.
She explained that as part of Government’s Better Agenda, the Ministry has prioritized three thematic areas to quicken the pace of the institute’s development. The areas are: human resource development, provision of facilities and requisite logistical support and upgrading of physical infrastructure.
On his part the Rector of the institute, Mr. David Newton said the institute’s dream of developing the new site into a modern university campus is very high on the agenda of both the Governing Council and the Management of the Institute.
He said the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning were making frantic efforts to secure external funding for the development of the new site into a modern university campus equipped with the state of the art facilities.
Mr. Newton announced the re –establishment of an experimental FM Radio on campus, which will operate on a frequency of 97.7 MEGA- HERTZ.
In his valedictory address to graduands, Mr. Newton implored them to justify the investment and sacrifice made by parents and society at large towards their education.
This year’s congregation witnessed the graduation of 135 students who have successfully completed a two- year Diploma in Communication Studies. Of the number, 98 were women whilst the remaining 37 were men.
Ms. Joyce Hilda Efia Aboagye was adjudged the overall best student whilst Ms. Jessica Acheampong was adjudged the best student in the Social Sciences.
However, the institute, in its quest to promote competition among students and to broaden their horizons in the pursuit of academic knowledge has awarded two distinguished continuing outstanding students with certificates for lifting the image of the school higher as they sailed through to the quarter finals of the Knowing Africa Competition, a popular programme on TV Africa.
They are Wisdom Jonny- Nuekpe, a level 400 student and Michael Ohene Aboagye a level 300 student respectively.
Invited guest at the ceremony were treated to cultural and contemporary musical display.
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