SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT, ALBAN BAGBIN CALLS ON MANAGEMENT OF MEDIA GENERAL GROUP

The speaker of parliament, Alban Bagbin on Thursday, June 29, paid a call on the management of Media General, to seek collaboration and partnership for the implementation of activities to mark Parliament’s celebration of thirty (30) years of democracy. The Speaker led a team of other members of the legislature, to pay the working visit to Adesa We.

During deliberations with a cross-section of management of Media General, led by the Group Chief Executive Officer, Madam Beatrice Agyemang, the speaker said there was a need for Ghana to improve its women’s representation at the highest level of decision-making in all sectors including Parliament.

He stated that Ghana is currently doing 14.5 percent of women’s representation in parliament, which he said is one of the lowest statistics in the world when it comes to female representation in the legislature. He told the GCEO of Media General that; “I’m happy to see you heading the Group because women don’t even usually get that far.”

Addressing the gender balances in parliament, the speaker said; “I think that we are far behind, even in Parliament’s 14.5 percent representation, it is one of the worst in Africa. Even our Arab countries have taken up the mantle and they are moving ahead, there are about a little bit over 30 countries now in Africa where the representation is over 30 percent, Ghana is 14.5 percent and you say you are a modern-day democracy? Which kind of model is that?”

“The highest is Rwanda in Africa, 61 per cent. We in Ghana can do it also.”

Madam Beatrice Agyemang who welcomed the Speaker to Adesa We, walked Mr. Bagbin through the journey of Media General.

Regarding news content, she said; “We have a strong editorial committee to ensure that we are very balanced, transparent and fair in our reportage, every news item you see goes through scrutiny.TV3 is number 1 in the ranking,” Madam Agyeman told the Speaker. Among other things, the Speaker said that the legislature is reviewing its Standing Orders and also introducing new ones that will allow media practitioners to cover sittings of committees in the house; “we are bringing new rules, we call them Standing Orders, in the House, we are creating new committees or additional committees and we are also opening up those committee meetings to all media.” He also expressed concern over Ghana’s freedom of speech retrogression calling on the government to improve from its current 62nd ranking. At the end of what was a fruitful engagement, the Group chief executive officer of Media General, Madam, Beatrice Agyemang assured the speaker of Media General’s support in the upcoming celebration of thirty years of Parliamentary democracy and beyond. “I am hoping that this is the beginning of a good relationship,” she stressed.