Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, a presidential aspirant of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has reiterated his commitment to revamp the Association to make it more proactive and vibrant.
He noted that the association needed to take a completely new shape as it had become unattractive and was fast losing its relevance.
He indicated, for instance, that the neglect of the regional chapters of GJA in all activities at the national level was untenable, adding that the lack of regional offices was even more disturbing.
“The regions are my backbone, and I will make sure you are an integral part of my administration. I will see to the establishment of regional branch offices for you to function properly,” he assured.
Mr Dwumfour was speaking to some GJA members in Cape Coast ahead of the Association’s elections on Friday, June 24, 2022.
He said under his leadership, the Association’s annual general meetings would be rotated among the regions and not be held only in Accra.
Lamenting the lack of proper funding for the Association, Mr Dwumfour hinted that he would device innovative ways to generate revenue for the GJA to enhance its operations.
According to him, membership dues and proceeds from the renting of the Press Centre were woefully inadequate for the proper running of the Association.
He said he was working on establishing a scholarship scheme for the professional development of Ghanaian journalists.
He said the scheme would train journalists interested in building their capacities in specialized areas relevant to the country’s development.
Stressing the role of the media in national development, he resolved to explore avenues to hone the skills and professional competencies of journalists if he became the GJA President.
As an executive member of the Association, Mr Kwabena Dwumfour said he was well placed to breath a new life into the GJA.
“There are some of our colleagues who do not want to hear the name GJA or have anything to do with it because of the ways it has become, but we want to change the narrative. We will pull both the younger and the older generations along,” he said.
Source: NewsGhana