Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, the Executive Director, CDD-Ghana, said the launch of the 25 years anniversary signified the collaboration between civil society and the media, who shared a common ancestry.

He said without the media civil society organisations (CSOs) could not make much impact.
“…Since 1993, we have known that the things we do, whether at the CDD, or IEA (Institute of Economic Affairs) or IDEG (Institute of Democratic Governance), without the media, we couldn’t actually really make much of an impact.”

He said similarly, media organisations, in performing their functions, had relied on civil societies because they were both non-state actors ensuring checks and balances in the governance system, especially in the Fourth Republic.
“Our democracy is extremely lopsided. There are virtually no credible checks on governmental power,” he said.

Touching on Ghana’s current hung Parliament, Prof Prempeh said although it was the first in the history of the Fourth Republic, it had not succeeded in countervailing executive powers.

He said CDD-Ghana had long recognised that within the governance space, there was very little that checked governmental excesses.

Professor Audrey Sitsofe Gadzekpo, Board Chair, CDD-Ghana, said the symbiotic relationship between the media and democracy was the same relationship existing between civil society and the media, adding: “There cannot be one without the other”.

“As the saying goes; when you see free media, there is likely to be a democracy. When there is no free media, there is no democracy. Same for civil society.”

The media had been fundamental and transformational to the Fourth Republic of Ghana, she added.
Other members of the CDD Board present at the launch were Mrs Clara Kasser-Tee, Vice Chair; Mr James Sraha, Secretary; Prof Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, Member and Co-Founder of CDD-Ghana; Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah, Member and Co-Founder of CDD-Ghana; Prof Henry Kwasi Prempeh, Executive Director, and Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante, Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement.

Prof Emerita Takyiwaa Manuh, and Mr Francis Tsegah, senior fellows of CDD-Ghana, were also present.