The Speaker of Parliament , Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin on Monday April 4, 2022, sworn in a seven-member executives of the Parliamentary Press Corps ( PPC).
The event forms part of the steps being taking to ensure that the PPC is strengthened and supported to offer the partnership that the legislature requires in order to offer Ghanaians a type of democracy that leads to the development and growth of the nation.
The five gentlemen and two ladies that were sworn in at the Speakers Lounge in Parliament yesterday were the Dean of the PPC, Simon Agianab, Vice Dean, Stephen Odoi-Larbi, Secretary, Kwaku Sakyi-Danso, Vice Secretary, Francis Ekow Annan, Organiser, Ibrahim Alhassan and Treasurer, Yesmeen Abubakar Tetteh and Executive Member, Deborah Dzivenu.
Addressing the gathering, the Speaker charged the newly sworn in executives and the members of the corps to shun spin, sophistry and rabble-rousing reportage and practice professional journalism.
“Let me conclude by saying that it is my profound hope that you as elected executives will commit to, and focus on ensuring that all members adhere to and practise professional journalism, devoid of spins, sophistries and rabble-rousing reportage”.
Speaker Bagbin noted that journalism is not about making up stories with the intent of attracting readers and making one popular and that well-trained journalists have a service to render, and it is only through true and verified leads and stories that they can have an impact on the growth of society, and in particular, the growth and development of Ghana’s parliamentary democracy.
Speaking on how the Parliamentary Service is poised to support the Press Corps in it’s work, the Speaker said he believed that if the media is given the freedom to conduct its boundary-spanning role between government and citizens, it can positively steer and even completely alter the ways in which the government and its institutions operate hence the support it’s given to the Press Corps.
He then reiterated that ” I am willing to support those interventions that will empower you to work in the most effective manner possible. If that calls for capacity-building and strategic partnerships, then that need will and must be satisfied.”
The Dean of PPC, Mr Simon Againab in his appreciation speech thanked Speaker Bagbin for his enormous and continuous support to the corps.
“Mr Speaker, You have never hidden your plans for empowerment of the Corps and for this we are grateful”, the Dean said.
This appreciation to the Speaker and the Parliamentary Service, the Dean said was also based on the fact that journalists in Parliament are the first information vehicle to the outside world and thus must always be in the position to give accurate accounts of happenings hence the need for periodic trainings.
He said these trainings enable members of the press corps to appraise themselves with the Standing Orders which guides the conduct of Proceedings and believes the Speaker and the Parliamentary Service are doing well in that regard hence the appreciation.
Mr Againab also told the Speaker that the corps is also not happy reporting chaos from the House and pledged to support the Speaker to maintain order and harmony in the chamber.
The Director of Public Affairs of Parliament, Madam Kate Addo who was also present at the event assured members of Parliaments support to them.
She however urged them to live up to their mandate of being the watchdog of society because it was for nothing that a whole chaptee of the 1992 constitution of Ghana was dedicated to the media.
She encouraged to acquint themselves well with practices in the House in order to diversify their reportages.
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