Theophilus Kwesi Agyei Annim of Citi TV was crowned the 2019 Best Journalist in the maiden edition of the Western Region Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) awards ceremony, organised in Takoradi on Saturday night.

The awards ceremony, organised on the theme: “Redefining corporate social responsibility; Moving from handout to Legacy projects, the role of the gatekeeper,” awarded excellence in journalism in the Western region.

A number of honorary awards were given out to deserving media houses for their various contributions in the media landscape.

Past journalists who have also worked in the Western Region and retired were also given recognition at the awards ceremony. They were presented with a medical insurance package.

In the competitive category, Theophilus Kwesi Agyei Annim of Citi TV came up tops as the Best Journalist of the Year 2019 for his demonstrated commitment to work, high sense of professionalism, accuracy in reporting and delivery, upholding of the ethics of the profession and very vocal in championing journalists welfare, pacesetter and innovative and taking up challenges.

Ina Thalia Quansah of Radio Maxx in Takoradi, who also reports for the Multimedia Group picked up three awards, Most Promising Young Journalist, Best in General News Reporting and Best Rural Reporter.

She was adjudged the Most Promising Young Journalist for her commitment to work, daring to go beyond boundaries, taking up challenges, upholding the ethics of journalism, focus, playing key role in making the Takoradi girls kidnapping a national issue and vocal in pursuing gender issues.

Below is a video of the awards ceremony

Other award winners were:

Best in Education - Marie Aziz Tunde of Twin City Radio with her story on sex education.

Best in Illegal Mining - Charles Egyir of UTV for the story, “Galamsey operators back in the Western Region.”

Best in Responsible Mining - Kojo Fletcher, for his story, “Starving the goose that lay the golden eggs.”

Best Rural Reporter - Ina Thalia Quansah (Radio Maxx)

Best in Environmental Reporting - Eric Yaw Adjei for his story on Plastic waste.

Best in General News Reporting - Ina Thalia Quansah of Radio Maxx.

Best in Political Reporting - Alfred K. Adams of The Chronicle.

Best in Court Reporting - Erica A. Addo.

Best Promising Young Journalist - Ina Thalia Quansah of Radio Maxx.

Best Female Journalist - Benedicta Esi Brew Monney (Space FM)

Nana Adwoa Entsuah of Empire FM

Journalists of the Year 2019 - Theophilus Kwesi Agyei Annim of Citi TV.

Koney's address

The Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Mr Sulemanu Koney, speaking at the ceremony urged journalists to ensure that host communities in mining areas obtain the maximum benefits from social investments from the extractives companies.

"Journalists must therefore position themselves to be a part of the discourse on the determination of appropriate initiatives that can bring real change in the lives of our people," he said.

Attached below is the full address delivered by Mr Sulemanu Koney at the awards ceremony, which had the Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh as chairman.

NMC Chairman's remarks

Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh commended the recognition given to past journalists who served in the Western Region at the awards ceremony as well as the decision to use outsiders to technically measure the standard of journalism practice to select the award winners.

He questioned how practical it will be to adopt that as a complement to the awards ceremonies of the association because most of the time, professionals are in charge of those professional awards.

Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh said "but looking at the feeling in Takoradi, it seems to me that the Western Region journalists are satisfied with the way and manner that the selection process was conducted and that may suggest that if we engage outsiders, they may be able to do more objective analysis of some of the things that we do and so therefore, if even we will not totally leave it in the hands of outsiders, at least we must bring in some other professional groups to support and complement the efforts of the journalists, so that we combine some professionalism with some technical understanding and academic influence in the way that we go about doing the things that we want to do." 

Also in attendance were the Western Regional Minister and Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the national executive of the GJA, led by President Roland Affail Monney.

Honorary awards were presented to Skyy Power, Twin City Radio, Connect FM, Radio Shama, Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson as the honorary radio personality of the year, Daniel Kaku, an online journalist and Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr Richard Appiah in charge of the Western Regional Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) for his dedication to duty.

Sponsors including Goldfields Ghana Limited, Tullow Ghana, Ghana Manganese Limited, Ghana Gas, Raybow Hotel, MTN, Kosmos Energy and Springfield Group that supported the awards received citations from the GJA.

Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh 

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