The media has been charged to educate the public on the ongoing constitutional reforms without partisanship or partiality, as this is a very important national exercise that must yield positive results.
The Citizens’ Platform on Constitutional Reforms (CPCR) has intensified its capacity building of stakeholders with a two-day media engagement on Ghana’s ongoing constitutional reform process in Kumasi.
The workshop drew participants from the Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, Central and Western North Regions.
It aimed at equipping journalists with the knowledge to provide credible information and facilitate informed, inclusive and constructive public dialogue on Ghana’s constitutional development.
The engagement was designed to strengthen the capacity and understanding of journalists and media practitioners on key developments in the constitutional reform process and enhance the media’s role in facilitating informed, inclusive and constructive public dialogue on the proposed reforms.
Speaking in an interview after the programme, Madam Aba Oppong, Founder of Rights and Responsibilities Initiatives Ghana and Ashanti Regional Coordinator of CPCR who led the team of experts, said recognising the critical role of the media in shaping public understanding and providing platforms for citizen participation, it was prudent for them to engage media professionals to explore approaches to accurate, balanced and issue-based reporting on constitutional reform.
She charged the media to educate their audiences professionally, devoid of partisan politics, on the recommendations of the Prof. H. Kwasi Prempeh-led Constitutional Review Committee as well as the government’s position paper and the views of civil society organisations, so that Ghanaians can make informed decisions when the time for a referendum comes for the electorate to vote on amending some entrenched positions in the constitution.
For his part, Mr Christopher Dapaah from the Local Government Network and a member of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Team of the Constitutional Review Committee stressed that the Citizens’ Platform considers the media an important partner in ensuring that citizens have access to credible information and meaningful opportunities to participate in this important national process.
He therefore urged media professionals, especially participants, to take keen interest and devote their airtime and spaces to create more awareness for their audiences to understand the ongoing constitutional review process.
Some participants who attended the two-day workshop commended CPCR for the training, saying it was very fruitful because they had the opportunity to engage experts, interrogate key proposals and identify issues requiring greater public education and media attention.
